Reggae & Dub

Reggae, dub and dancehall from Arab artists, sung in Arabic, English and French.

Reggae reached the region on the same records that reached everywhere else, and it stuck for a specific reason: the form was built to carry direct political lyrics over music people dance to, which is a combination Arabic-language songwriters found a great deal of use for.

The scenes are small and concentrated, strongest in Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine and the diaspora. Dub has had the wider influence of the two, and its production thinking turns up inside records filed elsewhere on this site, particularly under Electronic and Trip Hop.

Expect one-drop rhythms, heavy bass and toasting, and expect the language to switch in the middle of a verse.