Saudi Singer/Songwriter Hamza Hawsawi has just released his new single entitled "What We Gon' Do" and from the Get-Go, one can tell its all "Nineties Vibes". The track is produced by Hamza himself. I particularly like the lyrics of this one, I love how Hamza is always able to get us into his own world. Hope we see more regular releases from now on. Check it out below and on your favorite "Streaming Services" - Anghami - Spotify - Deezer - Apple Music, etc.
About a year ago, Syrian/American hip-hop artist Offendum released his EP entitled "EYE KNOW FACES" . The delivery & the vibe for this EP was different to what we used to from Offendum & I loved that. I loved that he collaborated with Saudi Producer "Saud" . One of those songs is "FACES" & as he described it " The song is a lyrical reflection on perception / identity / othering, and ends with my reciting a poem by #KahlilGibran to that effect". Watch the full video below
It didn't take a lot of time for me to become a big fan of this artist, her vibe and humbleness are just incredible. She has always shown support to artists in Dubai and I believe its our turn to show love to one of most talented musicians in this region. I had a quick Q&A with Aleks who just dropped her new solo song exclusively on Anghami. Have a good read ;)
Big Hass :You're an incredible keyboardist and vocalist. How did it all start for you?
Aleksandra: It all started when my parents took me to music school at the age of 5 after discovering that I was born with perfect pitch. It was at the time of the civil war in former Yugoslavia so no one was really buying pianos then but my parents had some savings and supported my love for music. My first piano was a beautiful 100 year old vintage upright we got from a family that was emigrating because of the war. I studied music for another 20 years or so after that. And during that same time, since the age of 12,
I was singing and playing in different bands and working with different music producers and touring with them around Europe.
BH: How has it been working with Hamdan Al-Abri?
Aleks: He’s just brilliant! I have never met anyone like Hamdan. He has been a constant inspiration. He's a pioneer, groundbreaking and super brave with everything he's done, always a step ahead. I love the way he treats music and artistry with so much respect. He is so incredibly talented and hard working - his music is before everything else and on the top of all that he's so humble. So much love and respect for him.
BH: You just dropped a NEW solo song produced by "Rayan" Too Close To The Sun EXCLUSIVELY on Anghami. How did the track evolve? and how is it working with one of the hottest producers in town?
Aleks: Ohhhh, I love working with Bailouni! For me, his studio is a little happy place i always love going back to. Growing up an artist I always felt a bit like an outsider, felt like I'm not always fully understood. Amazing thing about Bailouni is that he understands my ideas and visions and I feel like I can express myself fully without being judged - and thats something I highly value. We work really well together. He’s so quick, talented and knowledgeable. And he’s just getting better and better!
With ‘Too Close To The Sun’ I just came to the studio with the piano lick I recorded on my voice messages and we loved the way how piano sounded detuned and slightly distorted. I played it again and we tried recreating the sound and while I was trying to figure what pads to play - Bailouni already created the magic. Then I just went in and laid down some vocals. We actually kept a lot of the original vocal takes.
BH:You are inspired by legends like ella fitzgerald, billie holiday, aretha franklin, how important is it for the young generation to also study those greats?
Aleks:I think the fact that many great artists are long gone and that we still listen to their music says a lot about the longevity of the music. I don't believe in theory that old music is better and that whatever we are listening to today is bad - on the contrary - but I think it’s great to know the history so you can make the future better. I apply that in every sphere of life.
BH: What are your thoughts on the Dubai Music Scene?
Aleks: The first time I came to Dubai (almost 6 years ago) and started checking out the music clubs and bars I was pretty disappointed by the music being played. Everywhere I went I heard the same Top 40 music, sometimes even in the same order :) Living in Europe - I was used to going to live music clubs, techno clubs, hip-hip clubs or just any kind of club that played ‘underground’ or ‘alternative’ music, so places where there was some kind of subculture. It took me a while to find different venues and likeminded people, I started to realize that there is some alternative scene here. From that point on things changed rapidly!
New artists started popping up and there are many great ones. I figured that I can also create something that is going to maybe influence someone else in the future. Thats the great thing about this place, that we all can be pioneers in something and there is a whole new generation of young, bold and beautifully creative people who grew up on the art scene over here. If they are the epitome of things to come - then the future looks and sounds good.
BH:What does live performance mean to you?
Aleks: I've been performing since I was 8 years old so it’s pretty much second nature to me. I feel way more natural expressing myself through live performance and music. Performing live means you summoning a wide range of emotions, personalities and traits. I always try to leave a piece of my heart on stage. The biggest compliment for me is when someone says that my music sounds genuine or it touched someone in some way.
BH: Tell us something not a lot of people know about you..?
Aleks: I believe in equality, freedom of mind and speech. I love Wes Anderson’s and Wong Kar-wai’s movies. I studied video art and 3D animation for a while, and if I wasn't a musician I would probably be a Graphic Designer or a contemporary dancer :)
BH: Any last words to Re-Volt blog?
Aleks: Thanks a lot for all the love and support Big Hass, you're such a legend! Keep up with great work promoting and helping artists. We are all lucky to have you in our region, helping us get heard. I have nothing but love and respect for you.
Listen to the track Aleks just released on Anghami below
Below is a list of few Khaleeji Rappers you should know about. These are rappers that are GCC Nationals. *** Please feel free to send me others & I will add it Rappers should be from GCC (Saudi Arabia, UAE, OMAN, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait)
When I first heard Doha based, Egyptian rapper MVRS spit, I was impressed with his vibe and he also proved that there are a lot of Arab rappers out there that really go for that international sound and for me this is where I come in & try to push these artists to reach their goals. At the end of the day, Hip-Hop is a self expression art-form and language should not be a barrier. For Arab rappers, Hip-Hop is still its own universal language, whether the artists decide ti rely on Arabic lyricism or the familiar western flair. Had a one on one talk with him. See the full interview below and support this brother.
Shout out to all my brothers in Doha: ElNasser who is also Egyptian and does Arabic rap and is someone whose always been supporting re-volt
MVRS
Tell Re-Volt how you first got into Hip-Hop? It was the self-expression side of hip-hop that really got me into it. The first song I heard was When I’m Gone by Eminem. I was blown away by the magnitude of emotion conveyed in just three/four minutes. I had a Poetry chapter in English class at the time and we were tasked with writing a poem about a topic of our choice. Each student had to recite the poem in front of the entire class. I couldn’t. My English was too bad at the time. The teacher recites my poem instead. He bursts into tears and tells me that it was the most powerful thing he had read from a student in years. I believe that these two things coinciding is what drove me to add instrumentals to my words and give this rhythm & poetry thing a shot. How did the name "MVRS" come about? It was quite a journey getting to MVRS. I started rapping by the name Aymar which was just an easier way to spell/pronounce my name to those who couldn’t speak Arabic. Fast forward years later, an old friend made a pun with last half of my actual name; AmMar; that’s when Mars was born. The more I grew, the more I realized how the name Mars as is, would cause issues in terms of my online presence. When you’d google Mars, all you’d get on the first page are planet images. I needed to separate my self to stand out, and mvrs was the result. Tell us about the Hip-Hop scene in Doha.. how's that like? Qatar's Hip-hop scene has shown tremendous growth over the past 10 years, but it has the potential to do much more. It is still relatively pre-mature if you compare it to some of the regional or international scenes. It does however have artists passionately pursuing all four elements of the genre; Rapping, Djing, Graffiti Writing, and B-boying. When I started my journey as an artist, I thought I was the only one doing it. A few years later I was happily startled when I’ve come to discover fellow artists such as Trak (who was a little older in the scene), Y-Kay (who is now based in Dubai), and a few other ones. I was quick to approach them to collaborate. Around 2012 we put out a 25-track album titled Beleaf; a collaborative project between myself and three other rappers. That was the birth of Hip Hop as a scene in Doha. A group of artists collectively collaborating to express themselves. Nothing had come out of the city with that much reach at the time. It was the first time music from the city had made it to local radio stations. It was a blessing. As an artist who was born and raised in Doha, I feel a strong and deep connection to its hip-hop scene, specifically the rapping element. I feel like it grew with me. Every new milestone for me, was and still is a new milestone for us as a scene. Hence why I feel like I have this urge of responsibility to pave the way for the next generation. There’s a new wave of dope younger rappers, singers, and producers, some of which, I’m still discovering. I have spent the last year and a bit trying to take the Doha scene beyond the city and show the world that we have artists that can make music up to par with your favorite international artists; a fine example here is ROSEGOLD.
How does it work with you culturally.. where is home for you? Is it Doha & if so why? I’ve always had a tough time answering this question since I was a child. It’s a lifetime identity crisis... By blood and passport, I am Egyptian. My roots are from there. I feel a connection to its history and heritage. On the other hand, I was born and raised in Doha, Qatar. I’ve lived my entire life here. But can anyone really say they’re from one place nowadays? We live in the age of globalized societies. We’re a generation of 3rd Culture Kids. We strongly belong to bits and pieces from different places to the point where we sometimes feel like we don’t belong at all. What are your thoughts on Hip-Hop generally nowadays? and who are some of your favorite rappers? I think Hip-Hop is at it’s prime right now. It’s the most listened-to genre in the world according to an analysis done by Spotify and as far as numbers are concerned, It’s the number one selling genre in the U.S. That would technically make Rap, the new “Pop” or popular music. Hip-Hop has had various phases in the past where it was infatuated with a certain mood. Artists who did anything away from that mood, would not be successful. Nowadays, it has become so versatile in its flavors. Whether you’re just trying to jam to a melody and have a good time, or looking for a more conscious sound with a real message; there’s someone out there doing just that and a few others who’ve merged the two together. While you can catch me a lot of the times, in the mood for some straight up bars; I personally strongly appreciate melody in music. Prime examples of that, are rappers like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, Chance the Rapper, and more recently Joey Bada$$ with his very last album.
A personal favorite of mine is Isaiah Rashad with his very effortless and trill vibes. I also really appreciate versatile artists like Tory Lanez who seems to be able to do it all. Sing, rap, harmonize; you name it. Other artists that you’d find in my playlists right now are Post Malone, PartyNextDoor, Majid Jordan, Roy Woods, Bryson Tiller, Belly, Travis Scott and even the occasional Migos/Gucci Mane track haha. You're taking part in the Emerging Talent Competition organized by Yasalam for this year. Sadly, you weren't able to make it to Dubai and experience the workshops; but tell us about the experience and what would it mean to you if you go to the 2nd round? It’s been actually quite a journey with Yasalam. The first time I touched base with them was ETC 2015. However, at the time, the competition wasn’t open for artists outside of the UAE. In 2016, they approached me and the homie Trak to perform at one of the smaller venues in the festival. We thought it was amazing that artists from Qatar were asked to perform outside of the city. This year, they opened up the competition to artists outside the UAE, and it’s a blessing to have been shortlisted. I really wish I was able to make it to the workshops and I am sure it would’ve been a wonderful experience meeting all those artists and industry networks. But it is what it is. I still have a strong feeling that I will make it to the 2nd round, even with all the odds against us. I’ve had dreams of me sharing the stage with Kendrick Lamar when I was younger. It would be an unimaginable experience and it might just happen this year.
"Out Of Bounds" Album by MVRS
"Out Of Bounds" is an album that you dropped about 5 months ago. How's the feedback? and what sort of messages you got on the album? Out of Bounds was the album that made my sound reach beyond the city. Since I released it incrementally, song by song, over the span of a whole year; it was a growth experience for me. With every song released, the feedback was better and the reach was even bigger. It’s the national anthem to my identity. It tells my side of the story as a 3rd culture kid, who at his highest, feels like he belongs everywhere, and at his lowest, feels like he belongs nowhere. Do you feel pressured that you're an Arab yet you don't rap in Arabic? Not at all. I am very aware of the fact that my music could reach a much broader audience had I rapped in Arabic. But I started making music simply for myself to listen to and enjoy. Not to sound narcissistic haha; but I am my biggest fan. That will always be key for me; making music that I enjoy listening to. Music was not a big part of my life growing up. My parents never cared much for music. So, unlike many of my Arab friends, I never got exposed to the Arabic side of it. That even includes classics like Fairuz, Abdel Halim Hafez, and Umm Kulthum. I went straight into Hip-Hop; more specifically American Hip-Hop, which I was exposed to by my friends in middle school. I obsessed a little I won’t lie, and since then I wanted to reach that level. I wanted to take my story to the world, and it’s much harder to do so if you’re rapping in any language other than English. That being said; my music is a reflection of self, so you’ll always catch me throwing in Arabic phrases which I use on daily bases. My debut album was titled “Theeb” which is a term that has been used in the Arab culture to describe loyalty, bravery, and wittiness. Who are some of your favorite rappers in the region? Oh, man.. you really boxed me in with the word “rapper”, well; • The HRMNY camp is one of my favorite sounds from the region. The way Moh Flow, Majeed, and AY make moves is truly inspiring.
•I see Kshr, the Arab J. Cole, also doing his thing haha; we’re cooking something up together soon so look out for that!
•I also think RoTation from Sudan is really dope.
•Confait from Bahrain is also one of my personal favorites in the region. I feel like he needs to be more heard.
•Mack is also mad talent and I am looking forward to his next release. •Y-Kay who’s psychotic with the pen and dope with the visuals •Menon has also been killing it with his last few releases. •N1yah, who came a very long way since the first time I’ve heard her back in 2015. Word is she can really sing, so I’m looking forward to hear more of that. •Last but not least, the homie Trak. I specifically respect his mad work ethic and dedication to the craft. •I have also been mildly tapping into the Arabic rap side with artists like Flippter, Slow Mo, and Moayad Al Naefaie. What is your dream? My dream is to become an icon. An influential sound. I want to tell my story to the world and inspire younger artists to the do the same. I want to give opportunities I didn’t have, to any person pursuing a passion of theirs; whatever it may be. I want to meet the greats of my generation and surpass them. I have this recurring vision of me being in the studio with Kendrick Lamar, telling him how “I think this adlib isn’t working here” haha.
You have been featured on many of the biggest blogs/sites for Hip-Hop in the US. Is the feedback coming from the US different than the ones you getting from the Arab region? Surprisingly, I’ve received similar feedback on both sides as far as constructive criticism is concerned. Both sides seem to stress on very similar highlights, be it negative or positive. Culturally, however, the feedback will inevitably be different. In the US, you’re seen as an “outsider looking in”. In the Arab region, you’re “on the inside looking out.” It’s a very interesting dynamic. That being said; I’ve been very proud of the growing culture in the regional scene. Artists are pushing each other up from across the region and it only shows how music can truly break borders. What're the future plans for MVRS? As far as the near future; just more music man. I always tell artists that consistency is key to any sort of artistic growth. I’ve been very proud of how my sound progressed so far and I know there’s so much more room for growth. I also plan to collaborate with a lot of the artists I mentioned previously. I really think collabs bring out the best of each artist and give the fans a fresh sound. As you know, the Middle East is a political "spaghetti", a lot of issues always going on. Do you ever address politics in your music & if no, why not? On a personal level, I have zero interest in politics. I don’t indulge much in it in actual conversation, so you’ll rarely catch me talking about it in my music. I write on a very personal level. As if I am having a conversation with the listener. I am more interested in society and its affairs. These are topics we have much more control over than politics. These are things a person can truly change if they are inspired by my music and my story. Tell Re-Volt something not a lot of people know about you Hip-Hop taught me English. Before 10th grade, I was around 15, the only English I knew was “verb to be” and “verb to have” or whatever they taught in public schools at the time. In a sudden change of heart, my parents moved me from an all Arabic curriculum to an all English curriculum school. The transition was borderline traumatic... In the same year, I found Hip-Hop. I used to print Eminem’s lyrics, read them while listening every night before going to bed, and then recite them on the way to school the next morning. Hip-hop improved my English, which in turn, improved my Hip-Hop.
Moiz Rehman with a new track that is different from what he usually does. I kinda like it. I salute him for being the musician he is and the artist he always have been.
Watch the video for this funky & cool song that WILL GROW ON YOU!! Shout Out to the Animators. Big up
On August 11th,2017, I was honored to host TEDx Fujairah. I was truly inspired by the speakers I met that day and also by the amazing team efforts from he organizers. There was some inspiring speakers and some incredible entertainment that took place. One of those speakers was "Amal Murad". My first impression of Amal was that shes very energetic, passionate. Amal is a pioneer as she is the first Emirati female parkour instructor. Below is a quick Q&A with Amal about how she started and what does parkour mean to her. Check it out & also at the end of the interview, check out the link of her TEDx Talk..
Q: How did you get into Parkour. Was it a specific video you saw, a friend? tell us. Amal Murad: Since childhood, I used to play video games like 'tomb raider' where the woman lead character would be doing all kinds of cool stunts. Being the daredevil myself as a child who had climbed over to the neighbors' houses and found a path to avoid getting caught by the dogs, I've always felt that I had that side of me. However, I didn't understand what "that side" really was until I could give it a name almost 20 years later. It was when Xdubai started sponsoring two parkour athletes. That is when I was introduced to the sport and had finally started appreciating what possibilities there were.
Q. You've always said that parkour somehow "Liberated you" - Can you expand more on that? What were liberated from? AM: I've always considered sports as a way to release pent up negative energy. Not only is it scientifically proven that exercise gives out endorphins, but to me its more about the way you feel after a dedicated workout. Parkour especially allows you to express yourself through movement. It isn't about jumping over buildings but more about what you find yourself capable of doing when you set your mind on something.
Q. Parkour for you is a way of life. What is/are the main misconceptions if any about this sport? AM: I have heard that parkour isn't considered a "real" sport and that it doesn't do much for the body. People tend to underestimate just how much endurance, cardio, strength and explosiveness is required in parkour. We use legs for jumping and balancing, arms for climbing and hanging; truth be told, its a full body workout but the best part is that you don't feel it is. Q. You were part of an incredible campaign by "Nike". Tell us about that opportunity. How did it happen? & what is the message that they were trying to convey? AM: It was such an exciting opportunity because Nike approached us and wanted to know the struggles we faced as Muslim Arab women in sports. When we initially spoke to them, it was on a very superficial level where we discussed attire and that we had to wear more layers but the dialogue got much more personal. We then went to discuss the reason why we were afraid to even practicing a sport. Almost all of us said that we were afraid of what people would say about us. That is the mental wall we all have and continue to face on daily basis and only we are the ones who are capable of overcoming that wall.
Q. How important is the support you been getting from your family? AM: I can't stress enough on how important it is to get support from the people you love especially your family. It truly makes all the difference. I am never an advocate to go against your family to do something but more of trying to prove to them over time that you truly are passionate about something. Q: At any point during your journey. Did you feel like giving up & if so, what did you do to overcome this? AM: Yes, when I broke both bones in my forearm. It truly broke my spirit because I felt like that was the end of the road for me. However, that is when your true strength is tested. I feel like it was a good time to reflect on what I have accomplished and whether or not I had the faith to continue. It's about remembering that everything happens for a reason and you have to trust the process.
Q. What's your dream with Parkour? AM: My dream is to encourage more women to try new things in life and to not be afraid of diving into something they love. Q. You were one of the speakers at TEDX Fujairah. Tell us about the experience of being on a Tedx Stage? & how did the crowd react to your talk? AM:The experience was overwhelming in the best kind of way. I never expected the crowd to cheer as much as they did. It truly showed me that there are so many people out there going through the same things I am and that we're all in this together in trying to figure out what our purposes are.
Q. Any last messages/shout outs.. go ahead. AM: Shoutout to Big Hass who was the MC during tedxfujairah. He truly is one of the most uplifting people I have come across in a long time. I remember how he hyped me up before my speech when I was nervous and I couldn't be more grateful. **Watch Amal Murad's Tedx Fujairah HERE
Saudi artist "tamtam" has always captured my admiration!! She just released her new EP entitled "Identify Myself" alongside the video for the track with the same EP title.
Love the track, love the message & more power to her! The message of ONE, of not being boxed in, of being human first..
Ever since I heard TamTam sing, I fell in love with her passion and simplicity. She just released a video for her track "Hollywood No", a powerful message to the industry and more importantly to indie artists out there.. When I asked TamTam "Why did you write this song?" Her answer was "I really wanted to make this music video as a DIY (do it yourself) because the music industry can be really tough, especially when you're an independent artist, and I want to show and inspire other independent musicians that you can do a cool music video on your IPhone! you don't need to pay a whole production team and director...etc. I hope this song and video will inspire people and encourage them to keep going no matter how many hollywood no's they receive 😉"
Endorsed by the General Authority for Entertainment and organised by Saudi company "Time Entertainment", Comic Con is making its way to Saudi Arabia and in particular, Jeddah between the 16th & 18th February, 2017.
The official city in the Middle-East for Comic Con has been Dubai and sometimes it gets difficult for people to travel from Saudi to the UAE, so I am happy that Saudis will get to experience "Comic Con" and get acquainted with some local and international artists and a lot of fans will finally be able to experience this internationally acclaimed multi-genre entertainment and comic convention. I am also happy that Time Entertainment is organising it, they have been doing lots of cool events in KSA, one of them was getting the WWE to Saudi which was cool For Tickets, Go Here.
I will be also involved in the competition segments and looking forward to a great 3-day event. Official Saudi Comic Con
I am very proud of this guy. I hosted him about a year ago on my radio show and I am happy he's now making moves, releasing videos and believing in himself. We live in a world where sadly talented people don't get the proper exposure they need unless an "influencer" pushes them and I am against that..Talent is Talent regardless of how many followers they got or who pushes them. Open up your mind.. this track is great, got me emotional somehow and I do wish him all the best. Check it out my brother Nothing comes easy..All in due time..
I been working on this track for the past 3/4 months, I truly appreciate all the MC's that are part of this. I want to thank Orient Squad for a great beat and last but not least, I want to thank "ilakh" for giving us such a powerful Cypher Artwork
Ladies & Gents, I am proud to present Re-Volt Cypher Part ii for your eardrums.
I've always been a big believer that "cyphers" are dope.
I launched Re-Volt Cypher Part i about a year ago & now I am proud to present Part ii which is produced by one of my favourite producers in the game "Orient Squad".
The track features 6 Arab MC's from Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria & Palestine.
The official artwork for the cypher was done by "ilakh" (Dope artist)
I will be releasing the track on the 4th June, 2016 !
I truly can't believe that I will be screening "Stretch And Bobbito" Radio that changed lives" ;I had the honor of meeting them in Dubai couple of months ago. It will be screened in JEDDAH (my hometown) for a very private & special audience. I wanted to rappers to see this film and see the hard work & dedication Stretch & Bobbito put in their work. During the 1990s, Stretch and Bobbito introduced the world to an unsigned Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, and Big Pun as well as an unknown Jay-Z, Eminem, and the Fugees. The total record sales for all the artists that premiered on their radio show exceed 300 million.
The late night program had a cult following in the art/fashion world and prison population as well. All would loyally tune in for the humor just as much for the exclusive tunes. Stretch and Bobbito brought a unique audience together, and created a platform that changed music forever.
Directed by Bobbito Garcia Watch the trailer here:- http://stretchandbobbito.com/
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
