The Best North African Songs of 2024 So Far
The best songs to come out of Sudan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya this year so far.
In 2024, young North African musicians continue to reclaim and reinvent their cultural heritage, breaking the older generation’s focus on Western styles. While rap is the dominating sound across the region, throughout genres, artists fuse traditional instruments and local rhythms like Algerian raï or Egyptian Mahraganat with global musical influences like electronica and pop.
The region’s vast sonic landscape reflects North Africa’s musical heritage and the many possibilities for new sounds to emerge, and the variety of local dialects and intonations gives each Arabic-speaking country a distinct sound. Women, though still underrepresented, are asserting their space in the industry and using their voices to sing and rap about liberation, equality, and solidarity.
Hyper249 — “Kanat Ayam Ya Watani” (Sudan)
Rab Shar3 (Arabic for “Street Rap”) is an Egyptian YouTube channel that hosts ciphers and showcases emerging talent. In January, Sudanese musician Hyper249 racked up views with his performance of “Kanat Ayam Ya Watani” as part of the Street Rap Sudan cipher by 249 crew. Hyper eloquently laments the course his country has taken under its current warlords, remembering better days that seem like dreams now.
Ash — “Foundations” (Egypt)
Cairo-born multi-instrumentalist Ashraf Moawad, aka Ash, released his debut album Self-Discovery in February, ahead of his current world tour. He rose to fame with his song “Mosaique” and his evocative live sessions filmed in beautiful locations, from Montreal’s Mount Royal to the White Desert in Egypt. Ash plays the guitar, sax, keyboard, drums and synthesizer, and fuses his Egyptian and French heritage in his music.
Amaka Jaji, Ali Ben Naji — “OUDAD” (Libya)
Libyan musician and photographer Amaka Jaji steps onto the regional music scene with his debut album TIDET, 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.
Dina El Wedidi — “BANDAHLAK” (Egypt)
Renowned indie icon Dina El Wedidi teases her upcoming album Benna with “BANDAHLAK.” Blending electronic elements with Bedouin melodies and rhythms, the track builds epic momentum and, as usual, makes space for her impressive voice.
Stormy — “POPO” (Morocco)
“POPO” is the catchy lead single of Moroccan rapper Stormy’s sophomore album, Iceberg. Collaborating with greats like Morocco's Draganov and Algeria's Miraa May, and paying tribute to Moroccan icon Oum on his track “AMIRA,” Stormy takes us on a journey into the depths of his life. For “POPO,” he fuses Brazilian funk with the distinct Moroccan Darija dialect.
A.L.A — “Shkoon” (Tunisia)
Tunisian superstar Ala Ferchichi, aka A.L.A, is the winner of the All African Music Awards’ Best Male Artist Award and has performed shows all over the world, amassing millions of loyal followers and garnering approximately 400 million views on his YouTube channel alone in just 5 years. This track sees A.L.A rapping about social justice, economic hardship and the struggle for a better life in Tunisia.
Lyna Mahyem and Numidia Lezoul — “Jamais Yensak” (Algeria)
After launching her own label, Ma Belle Music, French Algerian singer Lyna Mahyem released her third studio album Mon âme in February. On “Jamais Yensak,” she teams up with renowned Algerian singer Numidia Lezoul for a heartfelt ballad and a beautiful music video set in Algeria and France.
Karim Osama & Sulisizer — “3L Abyad” (Egypt)
Egyptian hip-hop rising star Karim Osama released not one, but two short EPs in February. He started off K.O confidently with “3L Abyad”, in collaboration with Sulisizer, and followed up two weeks later with OK, consolidating his unique style of folk-trap merged with lofi hip-hop.
LiL Eazy, SeidoSimba — “TAKKA” (Sudan)
Sudan’s SeidoSimba and Saudi rapper Abubakar Al Jilany, aka LiL Eazy, provide this year’s summer hit, the Maghrebian pop single “TAKKA.” Over a Kizomba beat, they confess their love for a woman, both in Sudanese and Saudi Arabian Arabic.
Figoshin, Norfafrica — “Machi Lkhatri” (Morocco)
Open-source collective Norfafrica shared “Machi Lkhatri” off their mixtape, THE NORF TAPE, featuring Moroccan rapper and beat-maker Yassine Saddok, aka Figoshin. After a strong year in 2023 with several celebrated releases, he continues to steadily gain success for his contributions to the vibrant and evolving world of Moroccan rap.
Felukah — “Batwanes Beek” (Egypt
Arabfuturist rapper and songstress Felukah pays homage to Algerian singer Warda al-Jazairia in this reimagined version of the iconic ‘90s hit “Batwanes Beek.” Giving it a tri-lingual twist, Felukah merges the nostalgia of kamanja (Arabic violins that play microscales) with the Egyptian tabla and electronic percussions.
Saint Levant & MC Abdul — “Deira” (Algeria)
Algerian Palestinian rapper Saint Levant collaborates with 15-year-old breakout star MC Abdul for their track “Deira,” the lead single for Levant’s eponymous album titled in honor of a hotel built in Gaza by his father. The track was produced by Moroccan producer Khalil Cheraldi and its instrumentals feature elements of Algerian folklore music, raï, and traditional Palestinian music.
Emel — “Tmannit” (Tunisia)
In April, Emel Mathlouthi, aka EMEL, released her fifth studio album MRA, an all-female and queer project and a 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.
Soulja & Sammany — “Hageega” (Sudan)
Sudanese rapper Soulja dropped his long-awaited debut album Deja Vu. Blending trap, pop rock, lo-fi trap, and Sudanese influences mixed with Afro rhythms, he takes us on a 14-track journey into his upbringing, challenges and dreams as an artist. “Hageega” features vocals by Sudanese artist Sammany.
Koteri — “Karnaby” (Egypt)
Abdallah Diab, the lead singer of U.K.-based band Koteri and son of Egyptian superstar Amr Diab, released “Karnaby” alongside band members Dinar and Jordan Spiro. To a backdrop of energetic pop sounds, funk and jazz, the track narrates the experience of adjusting to life in London through the lens of an outsider.
Frizzy — “Bimboizm” (Morocco)
“Bimboizm” is the high-energy, bilingual track by Rabat’s Safae El Jabri, aka Frizzy, who continues 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.
TIF — “Nothing Personal” (Algeria)
Paris-based Algerian artist Toufik Bouhraoua, aka TIF, staged his COLORSxSTUDIOS debut with an acoustic-led rendition of his new single “Nothing Personal.” TIF, who left Algeria for France eight years ago and rose to prominence with his debut album 1.6 last year, infuses his music with nostalgic blends of chaâbi, French and Arabic rap, and Andalusian music.
Lella Fadda — “Fokak Meni” (Egypt)
Egypt's indie-pop rising sensation, Lella Fadda, has been making waves through her collaborations with producer and anti-rap hero Abyusif. Blending electronic music with hip-hop beats, their songs refuse a clear definition of genre, and instead firmly reside in the alternative spaces of pop, electronic, indie, and hip-hop.
Ghali — “Paprika” (Tunisia)
On “Paprika,” Tunisian Italian superstar Ghali sings about the bittersweet spice of love, exploring heartbreak and the emotional turmoil that often accompanies relationships. Rising to fame with his poetic lyricism, this track’s bilingual wordplay is characterized by his signature blend of North African and Italian influences.
DADA — “3ADI JIDAN” (Morocco)
Moroccan rapper DADA released his debut album M.I.M (Made in Morocco) in January, paying tribute to the sonic foundations of Moroccan rap. Exclusively produced by YAN, DADA’s long-time collaborator, “3ADI JIDAN” is a melodic feelgood track that sees DADA rapping over accordion chords and chromatic melodies.
Nadine El Roubi — “#EyesOnSudan” (Sudan)
Sudanese rapper Nadine El Roubi releases her Freestyles Pt. 2 mixtape with more sociopolitical commentary, elegant empowerment, and a plea to keep “#EyesOnSudan,” her home country. El Roubi shared it on her social media during the war’s first days when the media were slow to report and neighboring countries failed to act, rapping, “Look, look all we’ve ever known is violence / What’s louder than a gunshot? Silence / From all the Arab communities / SubhanAllah, whatever happened to unity!”
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