SceneNoise X Anghami’s 25 Rappers Dominating the Game in the Middle East in 2019

We’re re-joining forces with the region’s biggest music streaming platform to follow up our 14 Middle Eastern Indie Bands to Keep on Your Radar list with another sweeping list highlighting the biggest names in rap music across the region. From Morocco to Lebanon, from the trap lords to the woke wordsmiths, from those still recording in their childhood bedrooms to those working in diaspora, here are the artists who made it. 

One of Egypt's most prominent names in rap, Abyusif wasn't a one night success, the Cairo native rapper and occasional producer has been constantly putting out albums, mixtapes and singles since 2012 with over 12 official albums and EPs on Anghami. Reaching momentum with songs like 'B7t 3aleiko' and 'Azra2eel', Abyusif's style became known for its jarring lyrics and delivery, whimsical disses, manic beats and versatility. With videos like 'Ana Msh H2dr 7ad' and 'Thanos' gaining millions of views online and his consistent releases, the latest being 'Sheleti', Abyusif certainly earned his spot on this list. 

Influencing the growth of trap music in Egypt from his hometown in Alexandria, the 21 year-old rapper and producer shot to fame in 2018 with his relatable sound and story. Starring in the first episode of our rap documentary Rabka, Pablo has been dropping videos like 'SINdBAD', 'Abu Meca' and 'Folklor' which surpassed millions of views online and has been consistently releasing one single after the other while collaborating with experimental, rising producers such as Molotof.

Considered to be one of the leading voices in the Moroccan trap scene, Issam Harris rose to fame with his track 'Trap Beldi' which was viewed over 10 million times on Youtube. Bringing elements of contemporary Moroccan culture in his visuals and his rap delivery, the young rapper quickly garnered international acclaim and sealed a record deal with Universal Music France for his 2020 album. His latest video single 'Makinch Zhar' features the rapper performing in Darija, the Morrocan form of vernacular arabic, over slick trap beats where he forges his own unique form of hyper-local rap.

Jordan’s Laith Hassan aka Synaptik fluently rhymes away in both English and Arabic as showcased in his 2018 solo album Om Al Mawjat and his collaborative album Terminal alongside Lebanon’s Chyno, released the same year. Setting himself up as one of Jordan’s most impressive wordsmiths, Synaptik went on to collaborate with regional names like Abyusif, Bu Kolthoum, Emsallam and more.. all while balancing his life as a practicing physician.

Msallam Hdaib aka Emsallam was born to Palestinian refugee parents in Jordan, and in addition to being a rapper, is also an actor and artist based in Amman. In 2016, he released his album The Last Step, five tracks of edgy and riveting trap that he delivers in aggressive and growled phrasing. He then followed it up with his groundbreaking 2018 LP Postcolonialism, a slow musical journey filled with meaningful verses and mind bending beats by his long time collaborator/producer The Archiducer.

   

Leading Saudi rapper BLVXB released his debut album Kwalees in 2018 which brought him regional praise as he touched on several topics and even dedicating a song - entitled ‘Kemawy’ - to one of his fans who was battling cancer and passed away shortly before the album’s release. Many of the region’s old school rappers hold the Saudi artist in high regard, especially Lebanon’s Big Hass who couldn’t hold back his praise for BLVXB during a TV appearance, a rare occurrence considering the rift between old school and new school artists.

Mustafa Ismail aka FREEK is a 27 year old Somali rapper who is one of the artists credited for taking trap culture one step further in the UAE and the Middle East. The eccentric rapper grew up skateboarding on the streets of Abu Dhabi from the age of 12, and made a name for himself with his breakout singles ‘Wadha’ and ‘Athadak’, but perhaps one of his most widespread singles is ‘Wala Kilma’ one of the region’s first takes on drill music, which in addition to its original release earlier this year, was re-released as a remix featuring grime MCs Eyez and Young Tribez.

Composed of Moroccan rap duo Shobee and Small X, Shayfeen have been breaking waves in the North African country since 2013 with their trap music. Gaining popularity by the year 2016 with songs like '7it 3arefinni' which reached over 10 million views online, Shayfeen are one of the key players in Moroccan Trap, most recently appearing on NAAR's compilation album with the track 'Babor'.

Tamer Siddig aka roTation is a Sudanese rapper who first caught the ears of many of his listeners with singles like ‘Green’, ‘249’ and ‘Randaka’ which were named after a style of Sudanese slang that involves flipping the letters of a word only to be understood by certain people in a manner similar to pig-latin. One of roTation most applaudable qualities as a rapper include trying to stray away from Western influences as he effortlessly combines English and Arabic over Afrobeat and trap music.

Syrian/Filipino rapper Nasser ‘Chyno’ Shorbaji was raised all over the Middle East and the globe before settling in Lebanon. The banker turned-rapper started out as a member of the country’s fabled FareeQ El Atrash crew before releasing his first solo single ‘O.P.P’ from his 2015 debut album Making Music To Feel At Home. The song was so controversial that many radio stations refused to play it as it explored the psychology behind suicide bombers. In 2018 he released his second album Terminal, a collaborative project with Jordan’s The Synaptik which stood as a sonic time voyage from old-school to new-school rap.

Hailing from El Wardian neighborhood in Alexandria, Wegz has been disrupting the Egyptian trap scene ever since his breakout track 'T.N.T' in 2018, earning him a feature in our rap documentary Rabka. Conjuring up complex rhymes and catchy melodies, Wegz has been actively dropping singles one after the other and has collaborated with the likes of mahraganat superstar Sadat on hit single 'Kharban' which reached over 10 million plays on Youtube. With recent singles like 'Hawary', 'El Yamamma' and 'Laqtta', it seems the Alexandrian rapper is here to stay as he crafts his unique blend of Egyptian trap.

Originally from Haifa, Palestine, Sallam Naser was born and raised in the Yarmouk camp in Damascus. With the upsurge in violence in Syria, he sought asylum in Drammen, Norway, where he quickly mastered the Norwegian language. In 2019, Sallam caught the Norweigan rap scene off guard when he joined rap battles against Norwegian locals, taking his talent beyond the confines of his mother tongue. In his debut album Ajwaa - produced by Wardenclyph - Sallam speaks out against oppression: as a displaced Syrian adolescent that fled war; as a Palestinian during the era of the oppressive apartheid; as an asylum seeker in a world where nationalism is only rising. Sallam has worked with prominent figures in the Arab rap scene, such as Synaptik, Al Nather, Haykal, El Rass , Ebn hawari, and Smokable.

 

Abubakar Al Jilany, aka Lil Eazy, is a Somali rapper born and raised in Jeddah in 1991. He went on to release his first single aged 17 and signed contracts with the likes of Jeddah Legends and Outlaw Productions, ultimately establishing himself as Saudi’s biggest rap exports. His 2017 debut album 4 Years tackled controversial topics such as race and perseverance. Since then Eazy went on to become one of Saudi’s view king with many of his tracks garnering millions of streams on several platforms.

Born and raised in South Tunisia’s town of Gassiene, 4LFA has been passionate about rap since a very young age. He recently took over the Tunisian rap scene with forward thinking rap bangers like ‘Beautiful’ and ‘DIOUN’. Known for being very picky with his collabs, he only worked with likes of Trippy Boyz and his frequent producer friend Ratchopper.

Dropping singles, EPs and mixtapes since his arrival on the Moroccan rap scene in 2013, Marrakesh native Youness Taârabt aka NESSYOU is known for his authentic old school rap bars that heavily intersect with the witty Marrakshi style of rap. His most popular releases include 'Sertraline', 'Ego' and 'Sekra' which has compiled over millions of plays and views in total.

Mazen El Sayed, aka ElRass is a rapper from Tripoli, North Lebanon. With four studio albums to his name, Mazen proved his worth as one of the most essential rappers to emerge from the Arab world thanks to his chasmic, thought provoking lyrics and his kaleidoscopic beats which especially stand out in his latest album Baad AlHazima. He is also a frequent collaborator with the region’s most prominent names like Synaptik, Al Darwish, Mehrak, Sallam Naser and many more.

One of Algeria’s biggest names in the hip hop scene, Didine is both equally street smart and pop savvy. He’s known for both hits that cross over beyond the rap scene like ‘Bella’ and ‘Aicha la Vie’, and trap bangers that resonate with Maghreb hip hop movement like ‘Codeine’ and ‘Codeine #2’.

Part of hiphop collective Zomra, Ala Ferchichi aka A.L.A is one of headlining acts of Tunisian Trap, constantly dropping one viral video single after the other which easily reach millions of views on average. Known for his clean beats and rich lyrics, A.L.A has produced songs like 'U.Z.I' and 'MTA3CHNYA' both of which have garnered over 20 million views online. In May 2019, A.L.A released his latest album TRAPLIFE which features the hit single 'Maradona'.

Prominent Tunisian rapper Samara made a splash on the regional rap scene with his various hits like ‘Menha Mechin’, ‘Dellali’, ‘Lehy Bia’ and ‘Me Dayem Welou’ along with lesser known releases like ‘AMG’ which found its way into the underground rap scene and became quite the anthem. Samara also garnered more fame last year after his run in with the law which only added more to his street cred.

From the South Algerian town of Bougara, Phobia Isaac made an impact in the Algerian rap scene with his bold rap bars, bouncing trap beats and his relatable street style. With songs like '3;33', 'Bouma' and 'Poca' which reached over 10 million views online each, Phobia Isaac keeps a constant stream of releases, the latest being 'Mi Corazon' and 'Nirvana'. 

Born and raised in Dubai, KC Hamada's experience growing up was a multi cultural one that affected how he formulates his rap. With recently released tracks like 'Sadoh', 'Blocks' and 'Iffy', KC Hamada is seen showcasing his unique flow and his nifty beats, effortlessly switching up between different styles and techniques in a single track.