12 Syrian rappers come together for seven-minute ‘Syrian Cypher 2 (963)’

Bilad El-Sham Collective has released ‘Syrian Cypher 2 (963)’, bringing together 12 rappers from different generations of Syria’s hip-hop scene on a single track.

Produced and led by Assasi, the release features Sheky, Deep, Jubran, Merry, Patriot, Wylway, Syad Jad, Doola, B.Show, AlPazo, Nurulez and Assasi himself. The project brings emerging voices together with artists who have longer-standing ties to Syria’s underground rap community.

‘Syrian Cypher 2 (963)’ is built around the meeting point between hip-hop and elements of Syrian music, with oud and qanun incorporated into the production. The track gives each of its 12 rappers space for an individual verse, moving between wordplay and subjects including identity, war, displacement, hope and their relationship with Syria.

Throughout the cypher, the artists address subjects including displacement, identity, nostalgia and the social and economic circumstances surrounding life in the country. The continuation of making music through periods of instability also emerges as a recurring theme across the verses.

The accompanying music video was filmed across Syria, placing the participating rappers in neighbourhoods, coastal landscapes and urban settings around the country. The number 963 in the track’s title refers to Syria’s international calling code.

The new release follows the first 'Syrian Cypher', released in November 2022 as part of a country-focused cypher series curated by Big Hass. Produced by Rayan Bailouni, the track brought together six Syrian rappers; Assasi, Moudy Al Arabe, The Hws, Chyno with a Why?, OBAYDAH and Sarbasst.

Bilad El-Sham was founded in 2008 by Aleppo rappers Assasi, born Zak Allaf, and the late Khaled Arnaout, also known as Big K. The pair established the project around an approach that brought hip-hop together with regional musical influences while using the platform to address social issues and ideas of unity.

Following Arnaout’s death in 2010, Assasi continued Bilad El-Sham as a musical movement rather than a fixed group, working with different artists and collaborators under its wider framework.

Watch the full ‘Syrian Cypher 2 (963)’ video below.