The 13 Best North African Songs Right Now
Introducing you to the region’s newcomers and heavyweights.
From Tuareg and spiritual Sufi music, to rap, drill, amapiano, and Mahraganat, April was a good month for North African music. With several genre-bending albums and collaborations released, artists from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Sudan showed up and went all out.
Here are the 13 best new songs and album releases from North Africa this month.
Dafencii, Soulja “ هجمة مرتدة / COUNTER ATTACK” (Sudan)
Sudanese powerhouses Dafencii and Soulja unite for “COUNTER ATTACK,” a hard-hitting hip-hop track they released via Riyad-based label MDLBEAST Records. This collaboration is a celebration of the highly-anticipated Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire movie. Produced by Egyptian producers Ismail Nosrat and Karim Osman, the two rappers deliver a dynamic exchange of verses, effortlessly combining their signature flows.
Frizzy “Bimboizm” (Morocco)
Rabat’s Safae El Jabri, aka Frizzy, is releasing one banger after the other. “Bimboizm” is the latest high energy, bilingual track she rolls out to assert herself in Morocco’s male-dominated rap scene. She originally put herself on the radar through her instagram “frizztyles” and has now garnered a dedicated following for her unconventional flows and rhyme structures.
Amaka Jaji, Ali Ben Naji “OUDAD” (Libya)
Libyan musician and photographer Amaka Jaji steps onto the regional music scene with his debut albumTIDET, impressing with stunning visuals from his hometown Ghat in SouthWestern Libya. The album, which kicks off with “OUDAD,” pays homage to his heritage and pulls listeners into the spiritual trance of Tuareg and Sufi music.
Fifty El Ostora, Ortega “7Amla” (Egypt)
A few days ago, Mahraganat superstars Fifty El Ostora and Ortega teased the release of the “7Amla” music video, with mugshots of ten of Egypt’s most prolific rap and shaabi artists, including Marwan Moussa, Ziad Zaza, Karim Osama, Riff, Molotof, Sulizier, Felo, El Sewesy and Feto. The track is produced by El Joker, Moka and Memoomthebeat, and blends shaabi and rap elements, while we watch the beat-up musicians get interrogated by a police officer puppet.
Saint Levant “5am in Paris” (Algeria)
Ahead of his Coachella debut, Palestinian-Algerian rapper Saint Levant released “5am in Paris,” produced by 2048. Switching between English, Arabic and French, the track addresses living in exile and Saint Levant’s resulting fragmented identity. Over the melody of an Arabic accordion and ilog drums, he references his upbringing in Gaza, his mother’s hometown of Algiers, and his life in Paris and Los Angeles, saying that he doesn’t fully feel at home in any of these places.
EMEL “Tmannit” (Tunisia)
Emel Mathlouthi, aka EMEL, just released her fifth studio album MRA, an all-women and queer project. “Tmannit” is the seventh track on this musical exploration of freedom and protest. Known for her cinematic, grand productions, MRA blends African trap, batucada, Arabic reggaeton, hip-hop, and drum n’ bass with multilingual vocals. On “Tmannit,” EMEL’s voice rises in triumph over dark, intimidating instrumentals.
Ziad Zaza “PAGHIIIIIIIIIIZ” (Egypt)
It took Ziad Zaza two years to ascend onto the Egyptian rap scene and establish himself. He started out with hard-hitting trap and drill sounds, then experimented with Afrobeats, jersey club, post-shaabi, and old school hip-hop. With his latest release “PAGHIIIIIIIZ,” he ventures away from conventional rap structures, playing with indiscernible vocals and one liners over a synth-driven beat produced by Medhvt.
Mc Artisan, Didine Canon 16 “Luna” (Algeria)
Algerian rapper and producer Mc Artisan released his album OMW via Bat’art Records. On the album’s standout track “Luna,” he collaborates with Algerian rapper, songwriter and actor Khirredine Youcef aka Didine Canon 16. The beat is reminiscent of Mc Artisan’s strong East Coast hip-hop influences.
Hleem Taj Alser, MarSimba “So Sad” (Sudan)
Hleem Taj Alser is a Sudanese rapper, singer and songwriter, born and raised in Libya. He just released his debut album HEPTA, three years after his singles “Bella Ciao” and “Login” went viral. On track No. 3, “So Sad,” he teams up with MarSimba, Sudan’s favorite Afropop duo made of MazMars and SeidoSimba.
Loun, 4LFA, Norfafrica “Deebo” (Morocco, Tunisia)
Open-source collective Norfafrica presents “Deebo”, the fifth track of their upcoming mixtape: THE NORF TAPE, featuring Morocco’s Loun and Tunisia’s 4LFA. Loun, known for his sonic innovation, wrote his verse in 2022 at a writing camp Norf hosted in Marrakech. Utilizing wordplay and cultural references, his verses offer advice to his audience. 4LFA was presented with the track and picked up seamlessly, sharing thoughtful verses that lay bare similar struggles.
Jaydon Lewis, Miraa May, Lady Du “don’t you see freestyle (Pt. 2)” (Algeria)
After their first collaboration “don’t you see freestyle,” Algerian-born singer songwriter Miraa May teams up with South African producer Jaydon Lewis for this follow-up banger, this time also featuring South African DJ Lady Du. An international take of amapiano which includes Algerian flair and Arabic vocals, this is a sure summer hit.
Turk, Kingoo “SHED F TARFO” (Egypt)
Following his successful collaboration with Ziad Zaza, Egyptian rapper Turk released “SHED F TARFO,” described by SceneNoise as a “provocative” single. Produced by Kingoo, Turk takes an aggressive lyrical approach to match the progressive trap beat. He directed the music video himself, which sees him rapping in sci-fi-like, apocalyptic scenery and showcases his versatile creative skills.
A.L.A “Ghaba” (Tunisia)
Tunisian superstar Ala Ferchichi, aka A.L.A, released “Ghaba” and racked up two million views in the first week. The winner of the AFRIMA Best Male Artist Award has performed shows all over the world, amassed millions of loyal followers, and garnered approximately 400 million views on his YouTube channel alone in just five years. Produced by Mahdi Machfar and Ghost JD, this track sees A.L.A singing over an afrobeat about growing up and hustling in the ghaba (Arabic for jungle).
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