Latest news with #Dystinct
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dystinct's ‘Ya Baba' Featuring French Montana Lights A Cultural Bridge in Arabic
When Moroccan-Belgian artist Dystinct announced his upcoming third album with a debut single featuring French Montana, the moment didn't just mark a major milestone in his career—it signaled his arrival on a much broader stage. The single, titled 'Ya Baba' and released on April 18, should be seen as a high-profile collaboration that reflects the convergence of languages, identities and sonic worlds. It's also a meeting point for two diasporic stories: French Montana was born in Casablanca and grew up in the Bronx; Belgium-born Dystinct also traces his roots to the same Moroccan coastal city. More from Billboard Charting the Global Musical Map in Morocco: Dystinct's Quest for Love and Arabic Music P1Harmony, SEVENTEEN's HxW & More Among KCON Los Angeles 2025 Performers How to Watch the 2025 Tony Nominations Announcement Livestream With 18 Billboard Hot 100 hits over the past decade-plus (including standouts like 'Unforgettable' and 'Pop That'), French Montana has cemented his status as a powerhouse in U.S. hip-hop and pop. In 'Ya Baba,' however, we hear French Montana rapping in Moroccan Darija (Moroccan vernacular Arabic) for the first time. It's a full circle moment for an artist who left Morocco at age 13 but never lost touch with his roots. For Dystinct, this collaboration marks a major milestone in his global rise—joining forces with a U.S. pop heavyweight signals a new level of international recognition and reach. Shot in Morocco, the music video for 'Ya Baba' combines the celebratory and the sobering: children playing in the alleyway, elders sipping tea, the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Its combination of Moroccan textures with Afropop grooves, and lyrics that toggle between English and Moroccan Darija, illustrates Dystinct's ethos of musical diversity. 'More money, more problems, ya habibi,' he sings—echoing one of the most iconic lines in hip-hop history, while capturing the emotional paradox of success and the generational weight that comes with it. But Dystinct's journey to this moment didn't happen overnight. Born and raised in Belgium to Moroccan immigrant parents, Dystinct has long been immersed in Arabic music, as Billboard Arabia wrote in its cover story last year. Yet his ascent to stardom started first through Dutch-language tracks before making his mark in Arabic. That moment arrived in 2023 with LAYALI, an album that passed 500 million streams and supported a sold-out world tour. Songs like 'Tek Tek' with MHD and 'Y Dor' with Soolking positioned him at the heart of the MENA Afropop wave. The viral success of 'La'—which soared to No. 1 on Billboard Arabia's Hot 100—and the hit 'Wala 5,7,10' cemented his status as a chart-topper, propelling him to No. 2 on Billboard Arabia's Artist 100. Meanwhile, his track 'Spider,' with French artist GIMS, reached new heights, earning multiple Diamond certifications, and is currently approaching 200 million streams. The versatility in dialects in these tracks—from Moroccan to Khaleeji Arabic—reflects his fluency, not just linguistically but musically, across several continents. French Montana's career paved the way for this kind of ambition, though from a different era and scale of global success. From his breakout mixtapes in the late 2000s to major label success, Montana represents an earlier wave of diasporic success—one that had to Americanize first, then reconnect with its roots. With 'Ya Baba,' the script flips: Dystinct doesn't compromise his sound for global appeal; he elevates it on his own terms, and French Montana meets him there. In a world where music is increasingly borderless, this collaboration signifies more than a co-sign—it's a recognition that cultural identity, when channeled authentically, has the power to travel. As French Montana raps in Darija and Dystinct carries Arabic textures across languages and platforms, 'Ya Baba' becomes a symbol of the present moment: one in which artists don't have to choose between global and local but can be both. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Time Out
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Central Cee at London's O2 Arena: start time, tickets, potential setlist and what you need to know
London's very own Central Cee is playing a huge show in the capital this week. Cench is swapping west London (he was born in Ladbroke Grove and grew up in Shepherd's Bush) for the southeast with a tour stop at Greenwich's O2 Arena – and it's the only London date on his Can't Rush Greatness World Tour. Central Cee's tour follows the release of his long-awaited debut album Can't Rush Greatness, and it's a full-blown, true-to-the-name world tour. The chart-topping rapper is currently on the tour's European leg, and he'll eventually head off to North America and Australasia. Heading to see Central Cee at the O2 this week? Here's everything you need to know, from timings and a potential setlist to remaining ticket availability. When is Central Cee playing at London's O2? Central Cee's London show on the Can't Rush Greatness World Tour is on Thursday April 24 2025. What are the timings? Doors open to the venue at 6.30pm, though the O2's restaurants and bars will be open before that. Judging from previous tour spots, expect Central Cee to come on stage at around 8.45pm – though, as always, get down early to avoid disappointment. Curfew is 11pm. What's the setlist? For an idea of what Cench could play in London, here's the setlist from Manchester earlier in the tour (according to Limitless 5 Star Day in the Life 6 For 6 Cold Shoulder Ruby Commitment Issues Loading Patrick's Ten Play Video GBP (Central Cee & 21 Savage cover) Obsessed With You Did It First (Ice Spice & Central Cee cover) Me & You Mrs gen z luv Now We're Strangers (with Kamal.) LET GO Tek Tek (Dystinct cover) SPIDER (GIMS cover) 2MS (with Nemzzz) Dilemma (with Nemzzz) Doja Truth in the Lies Overseas (D‐Block Europe cover) Must Be CRG UK Rap (Dave & Central Cee cover) Sprinter (Dave & Central Cee cover) BAND4BAND (Central Cee, Lil Baby cover) No Introduction Who is supporting? Support hasn't been confirmed, though the tour is billed as Central Cee 'plus special guests'. In Manchester Cench was joined onstage by rapper Nemzzz. Can I still get tickets for Central Cee at London's O2? Last time we checked, there were tickets remaining for the show, on AXS here from around £50 and Ticketmaster here from around £80.
