THE GLOBALIZATION OF ARABIC MUSIC IN THE 21st CENTURY
INTRODUCING ARABIC MUSIC THROUGH U.S. HIP HOP PRODUCTIONS
In the early 2000's two hip hop producers, Timbaland and Scott Storch, included samples of Arabic music into a wave of hits, introducing millions of fans to the sounds of traditional Arab instruments and distinctive modes. This TikTok video provides a condensed comparison of original songs by Arab artists and their use in specific hip hop songs produced by Timbaland and Storch. The best known are Jay-Z's "Big Pimpin'" (1999), which samples a melody played on ney (reed flute) from a 1994 studio recording of "Khosara" by Hossam Ramzy (the song was composed by Baligh Hamdi with lyrics by Mamoun al-Shennawi for the 1957 film starring Abdel Hafez); and Aaliyah's "More than a Woman," which samples a song from 1993, "Alouli Ansa," featuring the popular Syrian singer Mayada El-Hennaway. Timbaland also sampled "Batawanes Beek," a masterpiece by Salah El Sharnoubi recorded by Algeria singer Warda Al-Jazairia in 1991 for Aaliyah's "Don't Know What to Tell Ya" (2001).Besides sampling from Arabic music, Scott Storch and others used synthesizers to create melodic fragments that are based on the double harmonic minor scale, a "fancifully exotic mode" related to maqam Hijaz and other modes characteristic of Arab music, but foreign to the Western tradition. Such tracks draw on musical tropes that were fashionable among French and Russian composers in nineteenth-century Europe, who portrayed "The East" as both voluptuous and sinister, with melismas that suggested to Western ears writhing snakes or undulating hips of belly dancers. [Richard Taruskin, "Stereotyping the Other: 'Orientalism'," in Music in the Nineteenth Century, Oxford University Press, 2010]
Laura Shrago, in "Learning about Arabic influences on 2000s pop" finds that a similar pattern of metaphors emerges from critics' descriptions of Arabic-tinged music of the early 2000's. Among other comments, she quotes Storch himself in a 2006 interview in Rolling Stone:
Shrago writes, "If I were to make a word cloud of everything I read to write this essay, the words 'snake' and 'exotic' would be biggest, with words like 'dark' and 'sinister' coming in close second . . . The commentary tends to characterize the music as seductive and dangerous, which of course echoes the way people in these cultures were characterized across the media and in society." Yet Shrago ultimately concludes that "It seems that like most cultural influences introduced to Americans, Middle Eastern musical styles have been absorbed into our music, sometimes to a point of inseparability from the mainstream sound. Though Americans’ rendition of the 'Middle Eastern' sound was once distinct and suggestive, its individual parts have now joined the myriad of options at a songwriter’s disposal for blending, manipulating, and more."Storch's music is often dramatic, with a sinister keyboard line snaking through. "I don't like to make superhappy stuff," he says. "I like serious-sounding records." His knowledge of music is encyclopedic, and his personal study of Indian and Middle Eastern music often informs his sound. You can hear snatches of it in the sinuous keyboard lines on Fat Joe's "Lean Back," Beyoncé's "Baby Boy" and 50 Cent's "Candy Shop." "I have great respect for that type of music," Storch says. "That way of playing is different than our American music. The notes are different, the scales are different. They have half-notes that are in between the tones. It's some really interesting stuff."
Shrago provides a Spotify playlist of Arabic-tinged popular songs. Other examples of U.S. songs that sample Arabic music:
Gunna - Drip Or Drown (G5LLE Remix) (2023), often referred to as the Arabic or "Duduk" remix, is a highly popular viral fusion track. It blends the vocals of Atlanta rapper Gunna's 2017 hit hip-hop record with traditional Middle Eastern woodwind instrumentation. This track went incredibly viral on TikTok and Instagram Reels, frequently paired with high-end fashion, automotive edits, or anime transitions.
Fairuz has been sampled by Madonna ("Erotica"); Macklemore ("Hind's Hall"); and Kanye West ("All the Love")
Ashley Tisdale's song "Headstrong" (2007) samples Mohamed Hamaki singing "Tamenony Enik" (2006)
Nas, "Motion" (2023) samples "Ya Abo Elkolub," a 2002 hit song by the renowned Egyptian artist Ehab Tawfik
Asalah's "We Mashet Senin" (2003) was sampled in "1 Train" by A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Joey BadA$$
"Make Me Better" (2007) by Fabolous ft. Ne-Yo samples Sherine's "Aal Sa3ban 3aleh" (2005)
Foxy Brown's "Hood Scriptures" of 2001 samples vocals from "Ya Boy," a 1999 hit by Ragheb Alameh, a massive star in the Arabic pop music scene.
Ashley Tisdale's song "Headstrong" (2007) samples Mohamed Hamaki singing "Tamenony Enik" (2006)
Nas, "Motion" (2023) samples "Ya Abo Elkolub," a 2002 hit song by the renowned Egyptian artist Ehab Tawfik
Asalah's "We Mashet Senin" (2003) was sampled in "1 Train" by A$AP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Joey BadA$$
"Make Me Better" (2007) by Fabolous ft. Ne-Yo samples Sherine's "Aal Sa3ban 3aleh" (2005)
Foxy Brown's "Hood Scriptures" of 2001 samples vocals from "Ya Boy," a 1999 hit by Ragheb Alameh, a massive star in the Arabic pop music scene.
THE BUSINESS OF GLOBALIZING ARABIC POP
If Arabic music of the early 2000's was stereotyped, fragmented, and absorbed into U.S. popular music as a trend, by the second decade of the century pop music of the Arab world had become a global phenomenon. The growing internationalization of Arabic music led to new styles of Arabic pop fostered by social media. Today's musicians and producers blend and combine languages, instruments, and vocal styles. Production methods make possible the intoruction of electronic dance music,
Much of the success of the spread of Arabic popular music genres is due to Universal Music Group, the largest music company in the world, operating in 60 countries. In 2020, Universal Music Group and Republic Records announced the launch of a new, specialized label, Universal Arabic Music (UAM), with Wassim SAL Slaiby as its founder and CEO. “It’s been my dream to highlight the talent and culture of Arabic music on a global level with partners that I trust and admire,” Slaiby said in a press release at the launch of the label. Universal Arabic Music is a close partner of Universal Music MENA, a division of UMG. Each of the artists featured below is an immigrant to the U.S. and based primarily in the States.
- Issam Alnajjar "Hadal Ahbek" (2019)
- Elyanna - "Ganeni" (“Janene Orrr," which translates to “Drive Me Crazy." (2024)
- Saint Levant - "Sabah El Ward" ("Morning of Roses") (2026)
Lyrics in of "Sabah El Ward" in English
Singer-songwriter and rapper Marwan Abdelhamid, known professionally as Saint Levant, was born in Jerusalem in 2000. Saint Levant moved to California from a Palestinian refugee camp in 2018. In 2022 he released his trilingual (English, French, and Arabic) rap track "Very Few Friends" on YouTube. The video reached 2 million hits in one month and soon became popular on TikTok and Instagram. On Spotify, "Very Few Friends" peaked at number 1 in nineteen countries and number 2 in the U.S., and reached number 2 on the Global Viral 50 chart. Saint Levant's first release on UAM was the single "Deira" featuring MC Abdul, in 2024. The track is an homage to his family's lineage and is done in the traditional chaabi musical style of Algiers. Since 2022 Saint Levant has headlined two international tours. [Wikipedia]In 2019, Arabic popular music took on a new international presence with the groundbreaking debut of the MDLBEAST festival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The annual festival is a multi-day electronic dance music event that features international superstar DJs, and local and international Arab talent. The MDLBEAST record label and management agency was established in 2020 in Saudi Arabia under CEO Ramadan Alharatani. The label
- Bayou - "Call Her Right Now" (2023)
The growing influence and popularity of Arabic pop in the U.S. is bolstered by North American touring. Egyptian, Lebanese, and Moroccan singers are headlining multi-city tours in 2026. The World Cup in 2022 and 2026 were occasions for a plethora of Arab musicians to reach an international audience, appearing in the event's Qatari singer Aisha, best known for her role in the FIFA World Cup 2022 anthem "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)"
COLLABORATIONS
UAM, in partnership with management/marketing agency Universal Group MENA, is the leader in arranging collaborations between Arab and U.S. artists. Several of these collaborations have become international hits. Collectively, UAM's productions have had unprecedented success in bringing contemporary music of the Arab World into the American soundscape.- DJ Marshmello and Nancy Ajram - "Sah Sah" ("Wake Up") (2012)
- Mohamed Ramadan, Future & Massari - ARABI (2024)
"ARABI" is a major international collaboration by Egyptian actor and mahragan star Mohamed Ramadan; Atlanta hip hop artist Future; and Lebanese-Canadian singer Massari, who is signed to UAM. The track bridges Arabic hip-hop rhythms with Western trap influences. The lyrics highlight Arab pride, cultural identity, and luxury, making explicit shout-outs to various Arab nations like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, and Morocco.
- Saint Levant and Haifa Wehbe - "Mitsubishi" (2026)
This page has paths:
- CONTEMPORARY POPULAR MUSIC IN THE ARAB WORLD Marc Thorman
- MUSIC OF THE ARAB WORLD AND ARAB AMERICANS Marc Thorman
Contents of this path:
This page references:
- Bayou – Call Her Right Now (feat. Hady Moamer & Motif Alumni) (Lyric Video)
- Marshmello x Nancy Ajram - Sah Sah (صح صح) (Official Music Video)
- Mohamed Ramadan, Future & Massari - ARABI (Official Music Video) - عربي
- Issam Alnajjar - Hadal Ahbek (Performance Video)
- Saint Levant - SABAH EL WARD / صباح الورد (Official Video)
- Saint Levant, Haifa Wehbe - MITSUBISHI / متسوبيشي (Official Video)
- Elyanna - GANENI (Official Music Video)
