Backstage: Stormy at Nawafiz Festival

Moroccan rap sensation Stormy has been unstoppable since his debut album ‘ICEBERG’ in 2024. His unflinching honesty, sharp flows in Darija and French, and affinity for meaningful worldplay established him as one of the most exciting talents in the region’s hip-hop scene and earned him a dedicated following across Europe as well.

Before his breakthrough in the scene, the Rabat-born wordsmith used to release freestyles on YouTube, where he would anxiously await feedbacks from listeners to improve his lyrical delivery. Now, as he took centre stage at this year’s Nawafiz Festival in Utrecht with confidence and swagger for his Netherlands debut - further expanding his global footprint - Stormy remains as humble as he first started. For him, live performances are another means through which he tries to workshop his sound, by paying close attention to the crowd and which flows or verses of his songs they react to the most.

Backstage, he was still as welcoming, warm and humble as he vulnerably shared with us his experience visiting the Netherlands for the first time, his pre-performance rituals, and creative process. Despite his chart-topping hits and almost a million monthly streams on Spotify, Stormy’s intention is never about making hits, but rather creating something that accurately reflects his skills and persona, and most importantly, satisfies his thirst for creativity. 

Watch the full interview below: