In celebration of hip-hop’s 52nd anniversary, we’ve put together a list of artists that have found a place on our rotation. Born in the Bronx in 1973, hip-hop has traveled the world to become one of the defining cultural languages of youth. Wherever we encounter it, we do so as guests of a culture that began long before us, listening, learning, and adding to its story without claiming to own it.
Hip-hop’s anniversary is not significant because it grants hip-hop legitimacy – the task, then, is not simply to celebrate hip-hop, but to ask whose stories remain outside the mainstream, whose innovations circulate without recognition, and how new voices continue to unsettle the categories that attempt to contain them. Hip-hop persists not by preserving itself unchanged, but by continually producing new forms of speech that resist becoming fixed.
Arabic hip-hop in 2026 resists the idea of a single center. It emerges simultaneously across cities, dialects, and local histories, each scene shaped by its own social and cultural conditions. Khartoum, Kuwait City, Cairo, Beirut, Casablanca, and beyond are not competing for the next capital of rap; together, they expand the boundaries of what Arabic hip-hop can become. Together, they’re stretching the possibilities of the genre with each release.
These are the artists we’re keeping close. Some are already building serious momentum. Others are still bubbling just beneath the surface. All of them are worth knowing before the rest of the world catches on.
Connan
Sudan
Connan is Sudanese rap’s freshest disruptor, evident by his 2024 breakout ‘Liga.’ Unlike peers chasing pop-leaning crossovers, Connan treats Afrobeats as texture rather than a compromise, keeping his sound anchored in raw drill and trap foundations. By carving a third lane between street credibility and global appeal, he makes high-stakes aggression sound effortless.
Hala
Egypt
Hala Sherif is hard to confine to a single category. The Egyptian rapper moves fluidly between Arabic and English, equally capable of delivering razor-sharp verses and carrying a melodic hook with ease. Signed to Warner Music MENA, her growing catalogue includes collaborations with Abyusif and Nada Nader, while her most recent appearance on Ahmed G’s IntoMyMind mixtape continues to showcase an artist comfortable crossing between rap, melody, and pop.
BILLY TSTRK
Lebanon
BILLY TSTRK is a Beirut-born rapper and producer shaking up the underground hip-hop scene with a chaotic, punk-tinged sound rooted in gritty beats and sharp, sarcastic lyricism. As co-founder of M7DH0N collective, he channels Beirut’s restless energy and DIY ethos into fearless tracks and the avant-garde LP 7ASHARA.
MrF13
Palestine
Based in Jericho, Palestine, MrF13 is the region’s newest cult favorite. Known for his playful lyricism, other times devastating, he’s collaborated with DJ GAWAD, QOW, RA, and Pierre Pepe on tracks that prove music of the fringes is still alive and well.
Thawra aka Shams
Egypt
Songs you need to know: BO7, La7ali, 3ANTAR (ft. Ebaa Monther)
Currently performing within two monikers including Thawra, leaning rap-forward, and Shams moving closer to pop, she is a dichotomy in sync. As Tharwa, her debut track was ‘Wala Hada’, in what she described to Complex MENA as a ‘diss track, against the world and everything in it.’ As Shams, she made her debut with the single ‘Ahwak’, a collaboration with producer Kubbara. Her debut album Qalb Plastic is in the works, and meant to release soon, using samples from Asmahan to Reda and Elissa, while traveling through various emotional ups and downs.
YOUNG GIZA
Egypt
Songs you need to know: Icecape, OKZOBA, INDICA
YOUNG GIZA is part of Egypt’s next rap wave, coming out of Giza with a sound that feels dark, charged, and built on instinct. His music leans into heavy drums, distorted textures, and a rage-rap edge, creating tracks that feel more like a rush of energy than a clean-cut formula.
After first catching attention with ‘Tashleef,’ he kept sharpening his lane through a run of releases and collaborations, including ‘OKZOBA’ with Ziad Zaza. What makes YOUNG GIZA stand out is the atmosphere he builds around his voice: raw, restless, and fully tapped into the pace of Egypt’s new underground.
Omnia T Al Taher
Sudan
Songs you need to know: Azza
It is fair to say that Omnia’s feature on Rap Shar3 “Talk About Sudan” episode is one of the most viewed and celebrated appearances in the history of the show. Although not a rapper per se, Omnia left her mark on the regional hiphop scene, and SZA seems to agree.
OUZII
Kuwait
Songs you need to know: DAWRYA, Atmasha, Moseeba (With LUIGII & 74 ORIGINAL)
Kuwait’s rap scene has been witnessing a rapid rise as of late, with OUZII leading the charge. His tracks have achieved widespread success, with ‘Atmashaa’ going viral on TikTok in 2024, establishing him as a name to watch across the GCC. What makes OUZII’s approach effective is his ability to craft catchy, accessible rap that doesn’t sacrifice authenticity.
THE DO
Saudi Arabia
Songs you need to know: Bs Ant, Shabat Nar
THE DO came up in the underground, moving through small stages and experimental sets to quickly becoming a viral sensation following the trendy rush of ‘Shabat Nar’. What started as instinct slowly sharpened into intention, shaping a clear vision where music, visuals, and culture move as one.
In his recent releases, THE DO leans into restraint, trading impact for intimacy. His music is tender, protective, and quietly magnetic, marking a sharper, more controlled edge to his ascent.
El NASHMY
Libya
Songs you need to know: EHKILY, Esh El 3amal
Born Mohamed Antar in Libya to Bedouin parents and raised between Benghazi and El Arish, El Nashmy spent years searching for his voice before finding it in his roots. After ditching Cairo slang and American rap clichés, he rebuilt his sound around classical Arabic, Bedouin dialect, and the stark realities of life on Egypt’s margins.
His 2025 single ‘Esh El 3amal’ (produced with Morocco’s 9ine and released via RAAD Records) is a perfect representation of his personal and artistic journey so far, showcasing a moody dark-trap confessional that balances raw ambition with haunted introspection.
