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Music has always been an integral part of the Middle East’s culture. From the traditional Arabic music to modern-day pop and hip-hop, the region has produced some of the most influential and innovative music producers of our time. In this article, we’ll take a look at 11 music producers from the Middle East that people should know in 2023.
AY The Producer
Ayham Homsi AKA AY The producer is a Syrian music producer based in the UAE. Being born in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, AY witnessed the early days of Jeddah’s hip-hop scene, working with the likes of X Factor winner Hamza Hawsawi. After moving to Dubai, AY went on to produce songs and albums for some of the best artists in the region including Jeed, Adam Nabeel, Mohflow, and many more. AY is also the co-founder of HRMNY, a creative agency, and collective that works on various creative projects.
Red One
Nadir Khayat, better known by his stage name Red One, is a Grammy winning Moroccan singer, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. After moving to Sweden at the age of 19 to chase his music dreams, he achieved his first big success in 2005 when he worked on the song “Step Up,” by singer Darin. After that, Red One went on an astronomical rise to the top of the music industry, working with the likes of Akon, Lady Gaga, Shaggy, Enrique Iglesias, and many more. Red One also founded a record label by the name of 2101 Records and holds FIFA’s Creative Entertainment Executive position.
Fredwreck
Palestinian American producer FredWreck is one of the most successful Arab music producer in the Western world. His parents fled from Palestine after the six-day war and he was born in Michigan. After deciding to pursue music, he got his big break when he signed to Dr.Dre’s label Aftermath Entertainment where got to work with legendary artists like Snoop Dog and Kurupt. From that point on, he established himself as a go-to producer in the music industry, working with the likes of Britney Spears, Kurupt, Eminem, Ice Cube, Westside Connection, Lil’ Kim, Hilary Duff, Xzibit, The Game, Nate Dogg, Everlast, Cypress Hill, 50 Cent, Mobb Deep, and The Doors, as well as non-US acts such as Dizzie Rascal, Tamer Hosney, Qusai, Karl Wolf, and Adil Omar.
Noah “40” Shebib
Noah James Shebib, better known as 40, is a Grammy award-winning Lebanese Canadian record producer, songwriter, and record executive. He rose to prominence for his many collaborations with Canadian rapper Drake and has produced all of his albums. Shebib’s style of production, which is often downtempo and ambient, has become heavily associated with Drake’s music. Noah is the son of Lebanese film director Donald Shebib and actress Teddy Moore. His beginnings in the entertainment industry came as a child actor, however, he always had a love for music and he slowly started shifting towards a career in the music industry, first as a DJ and then as a producer. 40 met Drake in 2005, and their friendship quickly turned into one the most powerful duos in music history, creating countless classic albums and hit songs. 40 also produced for artists including Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Action Bronson, and Jamie Foxx.
Rami Yacoub
Rami Yacoub is a Morrocan/Swedish record producer who hit the ground running with his first collaboration with Max Martin in 1998. He produced an unknown artist named Britney Spears’ debut single, …Baby One More Time. This tune launched Britney Spears’s career, making her a cornerstone of pop and it made Rami Yacoub one of the most sought-after producers in the industry. Over the next ten years, Rami would work with the likes of Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Madonna, Charli XCX, Bon Jovi, Backstreet Boys, One Direction, Arashi, Westlife, The Saturdays, P!nk, Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Tiësto, Avicii, NSYNC, 5 Seconds of Summer, Lindsay Lohan, Weezer, and Måneskin.
Ghazi Shami
Ghazi Shami is a Palestinian-American music technologist, record producer, audio engineer, entrepreneur, CEO, and founder of Empire Distribution. After pursuing a degree in the field of music, Ghazi produced music for celebrated artists like 50 Cent, XXXTentacion, Benny the Butcher, Hayley Kiyoko, Nef the Pharaoh, The Foreign Exchange, Rapper Big Pooh, Keak Da Sneak, and many others. He then went on to establish Empire Records, a prominent hip hop label that helped launch the careers of Kendrick Lamar, Anderson Paak, Cardi B and many more.
Molotof
Molotof is an Egyptian producer who is considred to be one of the pioneer of Egypt’s new trap sound. He draws inspiration from mahraganat, a style of fast-paced dance music that blends Egyptian folk melodies with big basslines. He even has his own genre, molowave, where the he mixes the popular folk genre with house and rap. His signature sound makes him an in demand beatmaker-wroking with the like of Marwan Pablo, Wael Belal and Shobra. He also has an extensive catalog of solo work that hits such as “El Gemeza,”Zoza,” and “Al-Khalat.”
El Waili
Cairo-based producer, Karrem AKA El Waili, has emerged as an extraordinary voice on the scene. He started his music career experimenting with sounds, melodies, and EDM in electronic patforms. He has a unique approach to producing music where he explores how lyrics can be embedded into his music. He also deconstructs the urban noises and the social context of Egypt’s neighborhoods to present a perspective and a feeling of the experience. El Waili produced over 30 singles and released an album by the name of ‘TokTok El Waili’ in February 2021, which included ten singles that Waili produced as a sonic diary of his thoughts when living at El Waili neighborhood in Cairo.
Al Nather
Palestinian producer and rapper Al Nather emerged as one of the most unique and challenging voices in the region’s music industry. Nather is a member of leading Palestinian independent digital record label BLTNM. His beats are instantly recognisable, with synth glitches that grow into rhythmic bliss. His lyrical content is infleunced by his sociopolitical enviorment, offering profound social commentary. Al Nather produced 3 albums so far for BLTNM, making him one to keep an eye on in Palestine’s music scene.
NBL
At 19 years old, Nabeel AKA NBL is one of the youngest and hottest emerging talents in the Saudi music scene .As a Saudi/Palestinain Bahrain-based music producer who’s been recently making waves in the region’s music scene, NBL produces hip hop, R&B, Trap and Afrobeats tracks. Some of his most notabel productions include Oceans Away with Nawal, an EP titled Oceana with Aziz.Wav and an album by the name Youngin, featuring some of the hottest artists in the region. NBL is also know for his Ramdan beat series by the name of “Jalsat Nabilia,” where he takes old Saudi songs and recreate them, giving them fresh soud infused with Drill, Trap and Afrobeats.
Big Moe
Big Moe is a Dubai based Egyptian music producer. He started expirementing with music in his early days after discovering the early version of Frooty Loops. From there, he started sampeling old Arabic song and creating symphonic hip hop beas out of them, bringing them into the modern era. When he is not working as a dentist, he is constatly working with artits from the region to elevate the music scene and contribute to the growth of the culture. His discography inlcudes ‘Aashat Eedak’with Freek and Narcy, and “Psycho with Mosalem.”
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