Diaspo #385 : Benny Adam, from teen producer in Canada to voice of Moroccan pride

Ya Biladi

19-04-2025

Mok ya Mok – On Instagram Reels, it's the hit of the moment. It's vibing, bringing in the essence of two worlds—the duality that many Moroccans living abroad, born abroad, or raised abroad have trouble finding the proper words to describe. But Benny Adam cracked the code. In his own way, he celebrates these two worlds through his moving and deeply loaded lyrics and Chaabi music, alongside local star Khadija Warzazia.
But before stepping into this new genre he calls Drai, Benny Adam—real name Ahmed Saghir—had come a long way. It all started in Canada, after his parents decided to leave Casablanca for Montreal when he was only 13 years old. In a world with no social media, no YouTube or Spotify, Ahmed already knew he had a knack for music.
An artist by choice, a music producer by accident
Although he initially wanted to become a cartoonist, in the process he discovered his love for music. «I loved drawing. And while I was drawing, I always had my cassette radio going. I'd listen to music for eight hours straight every day», he told Yabiladi.
Like any early 2000s teenager, music slowly became part of his life through Eminem, rap in general, and schoolyard rap battles. «There was no social media, and the dream of making it felt very far away», recalls Ahmed, who started experimenting with music as early as 16.
«It was hard to find someone to make music with, so I started playing around with software. I became a producer almost by accident—and it turned out I was pretty good at it», he reminisced.
Ahmed recorded his music using just a home computer, burned it onto CDs, and in a world without TikTok or Instagram, he made it work. «What helped me was sharing my tracks—and back then, on Messenger, the song you played would show up as your status», he recalls.
«That was my marketing tool», he said. He'd make a track, put it on there, and people would see it and ask him to send it. «I'd share it, and soon everyone's status had my song playing. Then artists would see it and ask, 'Who made this beat?' They'd contact me, and when they found out it was me, they'd ask me to produce something for them». And that's how he became a producer.
Initially releasing tracks as an artist, Ahmed soon found himself becoming a producer—crafting beats, instrumentals, and even writing songs for other artists. Slowly, Benny Adam's career grew, collaborating with many artists. But his first real success came in France, in 2016. «Canada has a big market and it's hard to break through», he admitted.
Things really took off for Benny in France, where he worked with French-Moroccan rapper Nero, co-producing his album for Capitol Music France and earning his first gold disc.
An old dream coming true
But in 2019, even though he had success, something still felt off. «I wasn't truly happy. That's when I decided to release my own project, La Barquetrie». He added, «It started during my free time between sessions. I made a track for myself, paid someone the next day to shoot a simple music video, and within three days I had the song, the video, and the soundtrack ready. I did that for three EPs», he proudly recalled.
With influences that span different worlds—much like his own background—such as Cheb Khaled and Michael Jackson, Benny was on the cusp of another discovery.
During the Covid lockdown, he was in the studio with Montreal producer and friend Gary White. In a session of experimenting and jamming with chords, he ended up creating a melody inspired by a song from Chaabi singer Abdelaziz Stati, Aatini l'visa o l'passport.
«I finished the song in a day—it came together quickly and naturally. Since the track had a Chaabi vibe, I thought it made sense to feature a Moroccan artist», Benny said. That's how the idea of featuring Stati in the song came up. «I reached out to him and asked if he'd be open to appearing in the video. He agreed right away. I shot my part in Montreal because of the travel restrictions, and they filmed theirs in Morocco». That's how Alizée (Feat. Small X) came to life.
From there, Benny's journey interest in Chaabi music grew bigger. «For me, Chaabi is the real Moroccan hip-hop. We have the bling—my grandma had gold teeth and a gommard. We have auto-tune before it was cool, like in raï. It's raw, authentic, unapologetic. Chaabi talks about real life—just like hip-hop does in the U.S.».
The then artist began a four-year journey to modernize Chaabi in his own way, capturing the essence of a genre that speaks deeply to Moroccans, both at home and in the diaspora.
This culminated in 2024 with the tracks Travolta and Tit'souite (feat. Nayra), which marked the introduction of the unusual genre called Draï—a mix of English drill (subgenre of hip-hop), Rai and Chaabi.
Morocco, pride and Chaabi
Then came Benny Adam's biggest hit: Mok ya Mok. The idea of collaborating with Warzazia came during a wedding Ahmed attended in Morocco. «It was through a good mutual friend named Loubna. At her sister's wedding, Lwarzazia performed, and she told me, 'You've got to check this woman out—she's a star'», he remembred.
Ahmed went to his studio and listened to her, immediately grabbed one of her songs, Mok ya Mok. «With AI—artificial intelligence—we were able to extract her vocals. I made my demo like that. And once I had the track laid out with my parts, it was time to meet her and ask for her permission».
But then things changed slightly. «I wanted to see if she'd agree to come to the studio and re-record the vocals properly. And she did», Benny said, adding, «It's a real collaboration and, more than anything, a human experience».
Released two months ago, the song garnered more than 5 million views on YouTube, topped Shazam in Morocco, and climbed the viral charts in both Morocco and France—with more than 150 million views on TikTok and Instagram Reels. What's striking in the song and its music video is that it captures what being Moroccan abroad means to many.
«Being far from your country makes you feel proud. For me, it's like a fish in water. When you ask a fish, 'What do you think of water?' it says, 'What's water?' But when you take it out of the water, it suddenly realizes it was in something vital. It's the same for a Moroccan—once you leave Morocco, that's when you truly realize the richness of our country», Benny said.
Mok ya Mok features a verse that has resonated widely with audiences. This verse encapsulates the diverse cultural backgrounds that shape Benny Adam's experiences:
«We are many! And in my head, we are many
Moroccan-Canadian, Muslim, Arab-Berber, Afro-Caucasian
Moroccan nationality is acquired by birth and can never be lost».
«We're a bit of a mix of all that. Except for the Canadian part, which is specific to me and to those who grew up in Canada», Benny acknowledged. «I think it's a richness».
Another powerful element in Mok ya Mok is the inclusion of wise words from the late King Hassan II on Moroccan identity. «I think just watching one of his interviews, you realize he wasn't just anyone. He made his mark in his time and continues to do so. The things he said 40 years ago are still valid today». said Benny.