Born and raised in Salé, Morocco, currently living in Washington, DC, Wissam-Style's unique multi-cultural blend of beats and languages sets him apart from the crowd. Working with Puerto-Rican Reggaetton artist Jancy, Wissam-Style combines Arabic, Spanish and English to create a fresh lyrical flow that gets both the body moving and spirit lifted.
Since 1992, Wissam-Style has been a part of the growing hip-hop culture in Morocco. His older brother, Bosslham Benkhedda (a.k.a. B.B. Cool and Tag Cool B), led the way, becoming the first MC in Morocco.
Learning from his brother, influenced by the French and U.S. hip-hop of the early 90s, finding inspiration in the streets of Salé, and living the reality of being poor in Morocco, Wissam-Style began casting rhymes, writing, and performing at the age of 15.
"I loved the subject of the songs - how they talked about suffering, about problems people have - especially the youth. But more so, I loved how they talked about how to fix things, how you can stand up and make the world listen to you. This inspired me to start to write about how I see things, what I think about, and how things can be better."
Wissam-Style's journey to where he is today was recently highlighted at 2006 DC International Film Festival, where the documentary Bellek was featured as part of the Hip Hop for Reel series. Bellek, a documentary featuring Wissam-Style, by Belgian director Bart Van Dijck, documents the lives of those involved in the Moroccan Hip-Hop scene in Salé and Rabbat.
Currently, Wissam-Style is working on his first album, Zilzal Slawi, is expected to be released in August 2006. The 11-song album, clearly reflects his love for family and country, his passion for life, and his constant focus on achieving his goals.
"For me, it wasn't until I crossed the sea from Morocco to the U.S. that I was able to see more clearly. It was like I wasn't able to understand certain things until I got some distance. For one, I realized that even though I didn't have a lot of things growing up, I had the love of my family. I know what it's like to be loved, no matter what. Unfortunately, many people I met - especially the young orphans in Morocco - don't have this.
I also realized how poor the conditions in Morocco are. There are rich people and poor people and nothing in between. This isn't right; it isn't fair. The people of Morocco are good people and they deserve more chances to show what they can do. Unfortunately, for too long the people in Morocco have lived in fear of the police and others in power - and of the future. It is time for the people of Morocco to destroy those fears. To stop being scared about the future. . Too often, people think about their situation and limit their dreams to that. But, dreams are not meant to be limited. Dreams are so much bigger than the current situation.
Through my music, I hope that people in Morocco - especially the young people - realize that the future belongs to them."
Watch for more great things from this energetic and passionate Moroccan rapper. Join the email list to stay up-to-date on upcoming shows and to learn more about the new CD Zilzal Slawi coming begining of 2007.
