Mixing styles and genres, the five tracks below also serve as a microcosm of the disparate musical directions regional artists are wont to take.
Lahza – HanyMust: The year kicked off in plaintive fashion, with this poignant acoustic number by Hany Mustafa, as close to a troubadour as can be found in the Middle East.
Your Heartless Sky – Omrr: Sampled ambient morning-after sort of track by Omar El-Abd, whose forays into ambient music are providing a richer experience with each release.
Fuck This Shit – Smash Beats: Menacing and angry, producer turned rapper Smash Beats pulls no punches as is evident by the title. Directly following an ode to friends and family, here’s the other side of the coin.
Qasheh – Bu Kolthoum: Pulsating and driving with a twist of a chorus that leans heavily on traditional music, Syrian rapper Bu Kolthoum displays his rap chops very clearly on this number.
Eshtaq – El Rass: Possibly the pick of the bunch in terms of how deftly it fuses different genre tropes, Lebanese rapper El Rass mixes Hip Hop with traditional folk music that comfortably rides atop an old-school R&B groove.
Hear all the songs in one playlist here.
