The Best North African Songs Right Now

Growing up with Ramadanmosalsalat, other Arabic speakers usually switch to the Egyptian dialect when talking with an Egyptian because most Egyptians only understand their own dialect. As a result, there is a certain resentment when Egyptians dominate cultural spheres.

This is to say that I am aware of how controversially Egyptian April’s list of best North African songs is. But denying that the catchiest, most interesting music came out of Egypt this month would be a lie. So, at the risk of being part of the Egypt-centric problem, here are this month’s song recommendations.

Carly Gibert, Lella Fadda - “Everything new [remix]” (Egypt, Spain)

Egypt’s most-streamed female rapper Lella Fadda jumps on a remix of Spanish singer Carly Gibert’s “Everything New,” rapping in Arabic and Italian over the track’s industrial beat. With its ethereal back vocals and harp-like synths, “Everything New” is at once a hopeful spring song and a badass rap collaboration.

Nadah El Shazly - “Kaabi Aali” (Egypt)

“Kaabi Aali” teases the upcoming second album of Egyptian-born, Montreal-based producer, vocalist, and composer Nadah El Shazly, titled Laini Tani, set for release on June 6. As with her previous offerings, El Shazly creates a hypnotic, multi-layered soundscape, fusing experimental electronics and Egyptian rhythms over which she delivers haunting vocals. “This song takes place amidst Cairo’s neon green city lights and should definitely be listened to at high volume in the car,”says El Shazly.

Wegz, Tayc - “Girlfriend” (Egypt, France, Cameroon)

Rapper Wegz teams up with French Cameroonian R&B singer Tayc for Afro-R&B track “Girlfriend,” demonstrating Wegz’ versatility; the single dropped only a few days after a nostalgic return to his 2019 trap roots on “ElWa3d.” While the track is an interesting, unusual conversation between artists from different worlds, I would have loved Wegz to do a dance scene like Tayc for real revolutionary appeal.

Mazin Hamid, Eiman Yousif - “Ya Jamal Alneel” (Sudan)

Sudanese musician and actorEiman Yousif, best known for her role inGoodbye Julia, collaborates with Mazin Hamid for “Ya Jamal Alneel,” an ode to the beauty of the River Nile. Over simple guitar and melodica chords, this heartfelt duet remembers Khartoum as the place where the White and the Blue Nile converge, invoking memories of joyful afternoons at the riverbank before the outbreak of war.

Dallo - “Ghara (Remastered)” (Egypt)

Cairo-born electronic music producer Dallo returns with “Ghara (Remastered),” a hypnotic journey that links sufi chants with electronic experimentation and plays with the voice as a soundscape.

Warchieff, Freek, Ma-Beyn, The Hws, TUFF - “Mahzla” (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Palestine)

On “Mahzla,” Saudi producer Warchieff brings together a powerful group of up-and-coming rappers from North Africa and the Levant. The track features Freek, Ma-Beyn, The Hws, and TUFF, blending their high-energy bars and various Arabic dialects with hard-hitting trap beats and an experimental soundscape built on an unsettling bassline.

DJ Habibeats, Felukah - “Hayati” (Egypt, Palestine, US)

Taking us back to the early 2000s, Palestinian American DJ Habibeats and Egyptian rapper and singer Felukah throw a garage party on “Hayati,” a dance track that makes me yearn for summer. Over Habibeats’ trap rhythms and R&B textures, Felukah delivers bilingual Arabic and English vocals that explore diasporic identity, a theme relevant to both US-based artists. The mood switch halfway through the track makes me want to hit repeat every time it ends.

Marwan Moussa - “Bosakber” (Egypt)

Egyptian German rapper Marwan Moussa, the country’s third most streamed rapper, is preparing to release his most personal album. The album is split into five parts, each section tracing the stages of grief—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—after the loss of his mother. “Bosakber” is the second preview single, a fusion of hip-hop beats, sufi elements, oud arrangements, and shaabi that narrates the experience of heartbreak, trust issues, and spiraling mental chaos. The music video is a testament to Moussa’s love for film, which he studied in Rome.

Obie - “AS7a” (Sudan)

Obie is a Sudanese teenager with a promising flow. On his latest track, “AS7A,” he reintroduces himself to the scene after releasing his Supernova EP last year, and I am intrigued. Mixing fast, playful beats inspired by Afrobeats and Amapiano, paired with his effortless, assertive bars, Obie sounds older than he really is.