danny hajjar is The Editor-In-Chief of Rolling Stone MENA

Music journalist with a focus on the emerging Arabic music scene and artists from the Middle East, North Africa, and diaspora communities.

recent work

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‘The 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century’ Rolling Stone
‘The 50 Best Arabic Pop Songs of the 21st Century’ Rolling Stone

From North Africa to the Persian Gulf, from Rai to dance-pop to romantic ballads.

‘The Egyptian Rapper Wegz Wants to Take Arabic Hip-Hop Worldwide’ New York Times
‘The Egyptian Rapper Wegz Wants to Take Arabic Hip-Hop Worldwide’ New York Times

The 25-year-old has become a streaming star without releasing a full album. He just wrapped his first shows in the United States, and hopes to take his music even further.

‘Arabic Music Is on the Brink of a Global Breakthrough’ Pitchfork
‘Arabic Music Is on the Brink of a Global Breakthrough’ Pitchfork

Thanks to the rise of platforms like TikTok and the breakdown of traditional music-industry gatekeeping, a new generation of Arab artists is reaching a worldwide audience on their own terms.

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