Shobee’s status in the region’s rap scene isn’t something to argue over, unless it’s to admit that he helped build its foundation. Active since the early 2010’s, the Safi-born MC first started out as one half of Shayfeen— alongside Small X— a duo that catalyzed the shaping of Morocco’s present-day soundscape, setting the tone for an entire generation that still draws from them.
A solo act since the duo split in 2021, the 34-year-old has kept a measured pace, releasing just one full-length project before sticking to singles ever since. In the years following his 2023 debut album, Howls, his output has remained deliberately sparse, treating fans to only a handful of releases, mostly collaborations. His first standalone drop in that stretch arrived just last week, titled MACHI M3ANA, and it has already set the internet in motion.
Paired with a video— his first since Train de vie from Howls— the track has everyone wondering what the OG MC has in mind, where he stands in his career, and what to expect from someone widely-regarded as a legend on home soil. Leaning, as he usually does, into trap-infused sounds and more electronic textures, the track feels like a natural continuation of his style, steeped in self-assurance as he reflects on his position, his longevity, and the distance he’s kept from an industry he’s never fully aligned himself with, drawing a clear line between those who held their ground and those who didn’t across just over two minutes.
MILLE managed to catch up with the maverick rapper—who rarely opens up—to talk about where he’s at, what’s next, and his relationship with former Shayfeen partner Small X.
This marks your first proper release since you dropped your album ‘HOWLS’ in 2023, aside from three features: one with your brother MADD and another with fellow Moroccan artists DAMOST and FETAH. Does this single signal something larger, perhaps an album or another project of some kind?
Shobee: It could be an album, it could be a project, or it could simply be a message. What I can say for sure is that I’m very inspired right now, and there’s a lot more music on the way. You can count on that.
Where does this release place you in your career right now? Do you still feel the need to prove yourself, even as an established OG in the Moroccan and wider Middle Eastern rap scene?
Shobee: I’ve always made music with the intention of it standing the test of time. It became second nature to me. Whether with SHAYFEEN or as a solo artist, my work has always reflected that mindset. So I don’t really relate to questions about positioning in my career. My music and I are one. The goal has always been timelessness. The only thing I’m constantly trying to prove is that to myself, and ironically enough, only time can tell if I’ve succeeded in doing it…
Despite SHAYFEEN’s split, we noticed SMALL X, your former duo partner, resharing your work. It raises questions: are you now on good terms, and is a future collaboration on the table?
Shobee: We’re definitely on good terms. We’ve both grown and matured enough to respect each other’s work and give credit where it’s due, even from a distance.
What do you hope to take away from the release of this single? Is it a statement of presence or the start of an entire new chapter?
Shobee: It’s really just the natural continuation of my story, my human experience which I chose to share with the world through my art, in all its forms. Nothing more, nothing less.
