DJ GAWAD & Pierre Pepe Embrace Hazy Trap Sonics on Latest EP ‘Dove’

Palestinian/Jordanian producer DJ GAWAD has been one of the more interesting figures operating in the Levantine underground, ever since his 2024 debut Volume 1 positioned him as a powerhouse in regional left-field hip-hop. Dove, his collaborative three-track EP with Palestine-based rapper Pierre Pepe, offers something different from his Memphis rap-inspired debut. Smaller in scope but tighter in focus, the EP explores the darker corners of trap's subgenres. Released through Amman-based label Drowned By Locals, it also marks the first time GAWAD steps out as a rapper himself, making this a proper duo record rather than a rapper/producer project.

The EP opens with 'Pop Shit', which sets the hazy tone immediately. Airy choir pads, a pounding 808, a dark and intoxicated atmosphere that barely moves but somehow pulls you under. GAWAD's autotuned, pitch-shifted vocals sit alongside Pierre's warmer and more up-close delivery, both inhabiting the same faded register, rapping about money, girls, and flexes rendered in a fog so thick the specifics almost stop mattering.

'On Me' is the most melodic of the three. It opens with rich chords and an ascending melodic lick before giving way to a hard-hitting trap beat, landing somewhere more focused than the opener without losing the project's overall heft. GAWAD's vocals carry the same pitch-shifted treatment throughout, while Pierre comes through cleaner and more upfront, though still deep in the same lyrical territory.

'Saria Sawas' closes things out as the most aggressive track on the EP. The ascending melody returns as a recurring tag, the beat hits harder, and the subject matter lands with a wink: a whole track devoted to Pierre's sugar mommy, with a chorus that consists entirely of a reference to iconic Syrian singer Saria El Sawas.

Dove is a compact introduction to a duo that sounds like it's been operating together longer than the release date suggests. GAWAD's production stays forward-thinking and intentional across all three tracks, tapping into a syrupy, smoky, bass-heavy sound, while Pierre brings an unshakable confidence that leaves you trying to find the line between satire and genuine flex.