Anas Arabi Katbi: The 3amo of Hip Hop

Who is Anas?

Anas Arabi is an Arabic artist with Syrian origins that has developed an interesting path when it comes to progressing within the Arab hip hop scene. His path started from a sound that is reminiscent of old school hip hop (such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G), where he now has shifted to a modern new age sound that incorporates melodic, psychedelic, and cosmic elements.

A team player who began his career co-founding one of the first rap groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Anas has now concentrated on a solo journey that has brought us innovative gems such as قدّيس ,خابصة, and ساذج. 

Recognized by his peers within the Arab hip hop community, Anas has collaborated on various tracks with local big name artists such as MohFlow, ShiBoba, and Qusai. 

He consistently features on Anghami's (MENA's number one music streaming platform) New Arabic Hip-Hop playlist, where he has solidified his title of being the 3amo (Uncle) of hip hop.

Why you should care:

The golden age of Arabic music brought us Fayrouz, Oum Kalthoum, Ilham Al-Madfai, Farid Al-Atrash, and various other legends. They spoke to the people of their time about relevant topics such as the hardships of immigration, national pride, marriage, and hard work.

Currently, Arabic music is very artificial and repetitive. It sticks to the usual themes of meaningless dance and puppy love (in both good times and bad times).

Anas brings a new definition of what Arabic music can be. His music is provocative, raw, and harsh. Delivered in a very straight forward manner, his music explores topics that today's society thinks about (in silence), but does not publicly talk about. His music is a work of art that allows listeners to vent out the emotions that are bubbling in their subconscious.

By maintaining a mix of colloquial Arabic, Fusha (classical Arabic), and English, he is able to speak to the various parts of today's society in a meaningful and genuine way. Thanks 3amo!

Anas on True Music: