Hamza

The melodic force behind Belgium’s new wave of rap, Hamza’s vaunted rhymes have become a canorous staple of contemporary francophone hip-hop. Born Hamza Al-Farissi in 1994 to Moroccan parents in the Brussels suburb Laeken, Hamza rode the swells of the bruxellois rap scene into France with his 2017 mixtape 1994. Fusing the warped tones of Young Thug with Drake’s hyper-reality rap, the self-styled Saucegod showcased his R&B-tinged trap sound on his 2019 debut album, Paradise, which featured his signature collaboration with SCH, “HS”. Taking influence from the pulsating sub-bass of UK drill, Hamza issued the three-track EP 140 BPM in 2020. He followed it up with the full-length 140 BMP 2 in 2021, deftly advancing his éclat for reimaging Anglo rap styles in his distinctly hedonistic manner.