11-08-2025
Ramoon teams up with Nas-backed Mass Appeal for ‘101'
BEIRUT: When Moroccan producer Ramoon began work on '101,' his genre-blending new album with rapper 7Ari, he knew the project needed an equally boundary-pushing partner. That vision led him to Mass Appeal — the US-based production house co-owned by legendary rapper Nas.
'I think us and Mass Appeal, we were aligned. We saw things the same way — especially when it comes to Western inspiration and the sound we're building,' Ramoon said.
The partnership underpins an album that refuses to be boxed in. 'For me as a producer, I don't put myself in a box and I don't like to limit myself,' he said. 'Whenever I'm making music, I go by feelings.'
Though music production is often seen as a solitary craft, Ramoon's studio is anything but. As he speaks, the energy of collaboration still lingers — a reminder of the creative force that shaped '101.'
'As a producer, you're not just making beats — you're shaping the vision, guiding the lyrics, the themes, everything,' he explained.
That vision came alive through his chemistry with 7Ari. 'From the start, I knew Harri was like me — super versatile. He just needed a producer to push him,' Ramoon said.
Unlike many Arab projects that lean heavily into politics, '101' takes a more universal approach, blending global sensibilities with subtle Moroccan influences. 'You can't just start with heritage up front — people won't listen. You've got to mix it in, subtly,' he explained.
For Ramoon, Morocco's sound is inherently undefinable. 'We're a mix of Africa, the Middle East, Europe — even the US. That's what makes the Moroccan sound unique.'
The result is an album that embraces the messy, layered beauty of Morocco's — and the Arab world's — many influences, inviting listeners everywhere to step inside its sound.
