This week’s Rap of the Week is fresh, hot and packed with some good tracks, featuring new releases from Egyptian superstars like Afroto, Arsenik, and Marwan Moussa, as well as fresh sounds from North Africa and beyond. On the forefront of our list is Sudanese rap icon Tayeb ‘TooDope’ Hajo’s latest track ‘Shifit’. Carried by an aggressive, afro-tinted beat and catchy bassline, the track features TooDope spitting sharp bars (and probably a little bit of shade) reflecting on his influential status as a rapper.

Next up, we have Marwan Moussa’s comeback single ‘3amel Eh’. Returning after nearly a year-long hiatus from making music due to the unfortunate passing of his mother, the rapper takes a different lyrical approach, one that’s deeply personal and vulnerable.

The playlist also includes ‘Canicule’ by Moroccan rapper Mehdi Black Wind, one of the up-and-coming artists resetting North Africa’s underground music scene, featuring Smallx. A street melody born from the shared pain and resilience of two geographically distant societies subjugated to political violence and exile, the track is a part of Mehdi’s brand new album ‘Zeft’, a collaborative project with Chilean producers Ruama and Emete, aka Malos Habitos.

TRACKLIST: Zii - ‘100 RA’AI’