With a fired-up drill track and an artfully presented music video, Moroccan-American rapper Salem Aya teams up with Morroco’s Lemhllwess in ‘Qandïsha’. The track and music video tell the tale of Aicha Qandïsha, a mythical character in Moroccan folklore. The lyrics and music video draw parallels between Aya and Qandïsha, as the folkloric character is typically associated with her beauty, which she uses to seduce local men and then madden or kill them. Aya’s lyrics embrace this alluring persona as the rapper addresses her past romantic experiences.
Gosha produced the track, and it starts with a dusty-sounding string sample playing a grieving melody. Soon after, a drill beat enters in full force, with hyperactive percussions and a massive bassline. Aya comes in with an aggressive verse, topping the instrumental off with her lively performance and blunt lyricism. Aya raps about her love life, wearing her toxic traits proudly in a performance that is bursting with attitude.
Lemhllwess then arrives with a slower-paced verse, using catchy melodies and vocal affectations to contrast Aya’s rapid-fire delivery style. Lemmllwess’ stylistic use of autotune sees his dynamic singing style changing shape throughout his verse as he experiments with the effect.
The music video, directed by Taha Aziz, takes us through the streets of Casablanca, following a hooded figure representing the jinn-like character Aicha Qandïsha. More parallels are drawn to Qandïsha, by means of the shots of Salem Aya riding a horse, which mirror Qandïsha's frequent depiction as a hoofed figure. The video blends these mythological themes with signature drill-style visuals, such as an ensemble of background extras surrounding the rappers and the nonchalant adopted by the two.
Watch the full video for Salem Aya & Lemhllwess’ ‘Qandïsha’ here:
