Prepare Yourself for a Classic: DJ GAWAD Presents Vol. 1

From Amman to the world: This upcoming compilation album is set to hit full send on the soundscape of Jordanian & Palestinian underground rap.

The Palestinian & Jordanian rap scene has exploded in recent years, with juggernauts like Shabjdeed & Al-Nather putting up Wilt Chamberlain numbers with their music. But rather than talk about them, I will instead direct your attention today to some of the people behind the scenes: the crossover practitioners, the Euro-sidesteppers, and the atmosphere where shots are made, culminating in the highly anticipated all-star game that is the upcoming compilation album by Amman-based DJ GAWAD.

To paraphrase the words of DJ GAWAD and his record label, drownedbylocals, DJ GAWAD Presents Volume 1 features some of Jordan’s and Palestine’s most important artists and has been warped and dragged through the murky underbelly of the Levantine underground. The X-rated debut album contains satirical commentary on the state of today’s music scene and draws heavy inspiration from Memphis gangster rap. DJs showcasing a region, its artists, and its sounds have always been a fundamental element of rap—rest in peace to DJ Kay Slay, a pioneer in big-upping New York rappers. DJ compilation albums have become somewhat of a lost recipe in the earth’s big age of 2024, and are sorely missed.

Amman, my home as I know it and love it, was always a place that never took itself too seriously, a city full of jaws that couldn’t decide whether they wanted to clench or open up to clown you. Recently, I’ve been listening to more and more rap from Jordan and its beloved sister nation, Palestine. The two countries often feature frequent collaborators—perhaps the perfect example of joint-raps between Palestine and Jordan I can share is NA7LEH, a punchy track featuring two of the area's most emblematic artists: Al-Quds’ own ABUL3EES and the Amman-based Al-Khalil-rooted rapper rknddn, with production by one of the region’s most dazzling musicians, Big Murk. The music video itself was shot in Jordan and Palestine, showcasing both countries.

I am particularly excited for the emcees from these nations to be highlighted as they share a common understanding that rap is a competitive sport. Like athletes spending hours upon hours in the gym, these rappers are dedicated to honing in on their craft. People often imagine a type of antagonism with sport—a Kobe Bryant mentality of competition that views your opponents solely as enemies—complete with straight faces and a tireless routine. However, in remembering athletes who refused to take themselves too seriously, such as Ronaldinho who would run past his defender with a boyish smile, it is apparent that sacrificing an inclination of laughter isn’t required to participate in the sport. As such, calling DJ GAWAD Presents Volume 1, an all-star game still seems fitting despite the aforementioned satire.

In describing the sound of the album, DJ GAWAD promises a lot. At first skeptical, I decided to zoom out of DJ GAWAD a bit and take a look at the ethos of his record label, drownedbylocals. Like that one Shaq meme, I must apologize to the Amman-based record label because I was not familiar with their game. Other than having an incredible name, the label's discography also contains a multitude of gems, including one of my favorite records in recent years, Cheb Terro and Taymour’s Rai Futura.

All it took was one read of the mission and vision listed on their website and I was immediately enamored.

Screenshot of drownedbylocals website

Everything listed above sounded like a dream to me, so I had to do even further digging, in doing so, I gave the label’s recent NTS Radio episode, “DROWNED BY LOCALS PRESENTS: MUSIC FOR PARKING GARAGES” a listen and left it with my admiration multiplied.

One of the benefits of being raised by non-English speakers was that I did not experience much censorship. As such, I was 7 years old when I first heard Juelz Santana utter “Young Mohammad Atta, no plane lessons” during Dipset’s infamous Rap City freestyle.

I didn’t know what the fuck Juelz was talking about, I just thought it was cool. It was only when I got older that I learned about the controversy attached to that line, and it never changed how cool I thought it was, during the label’s NTS set I had the pleasure of hearing that bar again.

Not much is known of DJ GAWAD, the self-proclaimed “best producer in the Middle East” aside from a handful of recent singles. 

However, looking at these releases, and the album’s tracklist, it is apparent that DJ Gawad has an ear for talent that is rooted in the ground he wishes to represent, whether it’s lesser-known artists such as Tony Bleng and Farah, or more seasoned artists in rknddn and Julmud these are artists that remain true to their region, as they produce a sound that contains a blend of the abrasiveness that toughens up its citizens, and a satire that has me reminiscing on Juelz’s “Young Mohammad Atta” line. As such, I am predicting that the DJ GAWAD cinematic universe will continue to be filmed in the muddy streets that produced it, rather than behind a green screen, and I'm incredibly excited for its first installment.

DJ GAWAD Presents Vol. 1 releases this upcoming Thursday, August 1st, and we are in line for a classic. Buy your stocks on day one and tune in, because it's only up from here for everybody involved in this project.