Warped and dragged through the murky underbelly of the Levantine underground comes ‘Volume 1’ the x-rated left-field debut from the pseudonymous DJ GAWAD.

Via pitched up vocals dripping with delay, DJ GAWAD takes us on a tour of the region's most urgent artists, his interjections oscillating between cocky boast and frustrated lament.

Through this new persona, DJ GAWAD pulls back the curtain to reveal himself as the protagonist of the mixtape-like album, as replete with features as it is with expletives, an enigmatic ghoul in the back of the studio with an endless supply of broken sample flips, giving the album its old school feel while still speaking to contemporary hip hop aesthetics.

A Jordanian/Palestinian Memphis gangster rap parody par excellence, the album is infused with satirical commentary on the state of the contemporary music scene, yet DJ GAWAD shows as much as he tells, expertly fashioning a sound that makes you wonder about the identity of the artist behind the braggadocious persona of the self-titled “best producer in the Middle East.”

Drawing heavily from the Memphis rap mixtapes of the mid 1990s, DJ GAWAD has clearly identified the same brooding atmosphere in his own surroundings. On Mat3’anish (feat. Bleng & Fara7) DJ GAWAD makes his most explicit reference to the Memphis sound, twisting the hallmark cowbells that defined that movement to reflect the equally raw nature of his own setting.

Similarly, in Bandana (feat. Jurum), DJ GAWAD finds the perfect tension between his romantic sampling tendencies and the brutal sensibilities of his featured artist. As if liberated by DJ GAWAD's anonymity and irreverence, his menagerie of artists appear to have been emboldened, embracing the obscene free naturedness of the album, setting their lyrical prowess free to wander.

No expense was spared in the post production treatment of DJ GAWAD’s debut, with Iraqi-American artist Mark Gergis incorporating the Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck in the mastering process, as is evidenced by the crisp saturation of the album's sonics.


▄︻デ══━一 


DJ GAWAD, the self-proclaimed “best producer in the Middle East”, is the pseudonymous persona of the Arab artist, pioneer, philosopher and lover. The anonymity grants him complete artistic freedom to pursue his creative endeavors in full. DJ GAWAD embarked on a journey from the West to the East to collaborate with local left-field rap artists in the region to produce this masterful debut, released on Drowned By Locals.

DJ GAWAD Presents: Volume 1 is his first feature album, and he will continue releasing more projects under this moniker. Stay tuned. 


Producer: DJ GAWAD
Vocals and Lyrics: Tony Bleng, Fara7, @rknddn, Julmud, Movenwomen, MrF13 @RUUQ , Twinkie, Jurum
Master: Mark Gergis
Kingpin & Executive Producer: Sukk-Leil
Artwork: 3YN
Text: Nihal El Aasar

DBL27CT

DJ GAWAD Presents: Volume 1

DJ GAWAD - Lam3a (feat. Twinkie)

DJ Gawad, the self-proclaimed “best producer in the Middle East”, is anonymous for reasons of honor and religion. Leading up to his debut album ‘DJ GAWAD Presents: Volume 1’ on Drowned By Locals, DJG selects verbally dexterous Jordanian rapper Shbash as a collaborator for his first single KOMSTER. Reporting on hide-and-seek street-life narratives, KOMSTER is now up on Bandcamp and streaming on all platforms—https://drownedbylocals.bandcamp.com/track/komster

SHBASH is a Palestinian-Jordanian rapper, producer and committed nightcrawler of the city of Amman, from which he draws inspiration, crafting a signature rap style as a hyperbolic form of social commentary.

Produced by DJ Gawad
Vocals and Lyrics by Shbash
Mastered by Rupert Clervaux
Artwork by 67pcg

DBL22DL
released September 29, 2023

KOMSTER

DJ GAWAD & SHBASH - KOMSTER

Resonantnoise

ya bladddddiiiiiii
prd. me
Artwork: Mrf13

BEAS - BIN ZGEB

KAMANDOR كمان دور

مرفعXولك نوكيا

قد تحتوي على لغة حادة
إنتاج: WlkNokia
أداء: MrF13


Artwork: العمل الفني: شاهر 

Follow تابعوا
@mrf1313
@wlknokia
@smoomgang
on Instagram على انستاغرام

حتشوفني كمان دور 
هدمت السطوح ببني كمان دور
ستنا بالكرادور
شرشف أحمر ينطحك الثور
منمشي بس عالدور
بمشي بلا بسبور هاجم دافع لاجم الحمار 
سابق لاحق لاحس مضمار زي الكلب 
ليش بعملش بطلت أنفع خربان ول؟
المشكلة زهقت منا وطلعت هي بحل
كل ما اجي أفرط الورق انبل 
مش من الدمع
بس بالطبع

تلاقيني عند حسن الظن إن ضل
هبيلو 
غنيله امان زعباله خطر عوتر دندن عوضاً عن ترجمة خالي منعرف كل اللغة مش ملزم اني افهم ترا مستعجل 
خلصني

طيزي قرفان
ربيعي خرفان 
المشكلة اني فاهم ايش صار
زعلان ما ببين دمعي بفضحني
نضل مكابر حاول اخلعني
بحب المشاكل قد ما كرهني
أف أف أح توكل تنصح
تقال بتصير بلكي بتنجح

بدكوش تصيروا تعبوا كروش بل بتعبوا بعض مدخلكوش تسأل؟
خلّيله

يكفيني شرك لو كنت أهبل 
هبيلو

لاقيني عند حسن الظن إن ضل

حتشوفني كمان دور 
هدمت السطوح ببني كمان دور
ستنا بالكرادور
شرشف أحمر ينطحك الثور
منمشي بس عالدور
بمشي بلا بسبور هاجم دافع لاجم الحمار 
سابق لاحق لاحس مضمار زي الكلب 

بمثل مش مشتاق
وانا ألفلف بس لألقاك
بعد سجاير أشواق 
الورد ما انخلقش شان ينشم 
إن جرحك تزعلش إذا الدم نزل 
ترا ليش الأشواك الله خلقها؟
دخيله 

بمثل مش مشتاق
وانا ألفلف بس لألقاك 
بعد سجاير أشواق 
الورد ما انخلقش شان ينشم 
إن جرحك تزعلش إذا الدم نزل 
ترا ليش الأشواك الله خلقها؟
ادعيله 

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