Issam Harris (born 22 May 1993), known by his stage name Issam ( ar, عصام), is a
Moroccan rapper, songwriter and
trap artist. He was born in
Derb Sultan,
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
and became known in 2018 with his song and music video, "Trap Beldi". This track allowed him to gain popularity being one of the first Moroccan trap songs to reach over 10 million views on YouTube.
What is particular of Issam's music is the blending of
autotuned vocals delivered in
Darija, and classic
TR 808-generated beats with elements from traditional North African music. Many of Issam's works are influenced by
raï
Raï (, ; ar, راي, Latn, ar, rāʾy, ), sometimes written rai, is a form of Algerian traditional music, folk music that dates back to the 1920s. Singers of Raï are called ''cheb'' (Arabic: شاب) (or ''shabab,'' i.e. young) as opposed ...
—specifically by
Cheb Hasni
Cheb Hasni ( ar, الشاب حسني), born Hasni Chakroun ( ar, حسني شقرون), (1 February 1968 – 29 September 1994), was an Algerian raï singer. He was popular across the Maghreb, having reached the height of his career in the late 1 ...
.
In May 2019, Issam signed a contract with
Universal Music France
Universal Music Group owns, or has a joint share in, many of the record labels listed here.
According to UMG official site, the main labels are Abbey Road Studios, Bravado, Capitol Music Group, Decca Records, Def Jam Recordings, Deutsche Grammopho ...
, in what was considered the biggest ever deal for North African hip-hop.
His debut album "''Crystal''" has officially been released on May 6 2021.
Discography
Singles
* 2016: "Taba Taba"
*2017: "Rolex"
* 2017: "Hasni"
* 2018: "Bavra"
* 2018: "Caviar"
*:The “Caviar” video was originally planned to be partially shot in Paris, but Issam's visa application was denied by the French government. The track and its video showcase an increasingly globalized scene in which Arab artists nonetheless remain peripheral participants, due in part to the significant political difficulties in bypassing borders and enjoying the freedom of movement granted to Western performers.
* 2018: "Trap Beldi"
* 2019: "Makinch Zhar"
* 2020: "Nike"
* 2020: "Power Rangers"
*:Which marks the artist's first collaboration with the Casablanca-based drill rapper, Dollypran.
* 2021: "Wra Tabi3a"
* 2021: "Hendrix"
* 2022: "Phantom"
* 2022: "YA HASRA"
Albums
* "Crystal" (Released May 2021)
References
{{Authority control
Living people
1993 births
Moroccan rappers