Description
In August 2019, with the title “Sindibad el Ward – سندباد الورد”, they released one of the most astonishing hip hop albums of the last decade. Their collective BLTNM (pronounced “blatinum”) is a distinguishing voice for hip hop in the Arab world.
Shabjdeed’s lyrics are unusual and abstract. Interviewed by Arab music platform Ma3azef he declares: “Why aren’t we capitalizing on misery? 1) It’s shameful to do so; 2) Palestinians by nature are proud of being Palestinian. […] We are used to how things are here, I sing mainly for Palestinians, so it would make no sense – we don’t sit around saying ‘look how miserable we are.’ […] The days of singing about the war are over.”
Sindibad El Ward has quickly reached the status of classic, with its fresh urgence and unpolished poetic is considered for many the “Illmatic” of the Arab world.