Egypt’s Meno Zein is one of those versatile rappers whose eclecticism is conveyed with every release as he tests out a different sonic direction with each outing. This year has been a relatively slow one for the rapper, but each release showed a different musical direction in fine fashion, whether it was Shaabi-inspired, hard trap, or even classic boom bap. This time, he’s wandered somewhere new with his tropical-inspired trap tune ‘Khamsa 3alina’.

Produced by Abdo El Azzaz, the rising producer offers a mellow fusion of trap drums over a slightly different rhythm than the usual trap song. The easy-going nature of the rhythm is backed by the lyrics, ‘Khamsa 3alina’, an Egyptian phrase used to express gratitude and push away the envious eye, which is followed by ‘Say Mash’allah’, an expression of praise towards God. The additive snares push the groove and cause a unique bounce sensation which Zein rides flawlessly. He fills the frequency spectrum with airy pads, heavily reverberated backing vocals, and a live bass.