Dizzy DROS

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Dizzy DROS
Born
Omar Souhaili

(1989-07-19) 19 July 1989 (age 36)
Casablanca, Morocco
Other names
  • Mr. Cazafonia
  • 3azzy
  • Moutanabbi
Occupations
Years active2011–present
Notable work
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals

Omar Souhaili (Arabic: عمر سهيلي; born July 19, 1989), better known by his stage name Dizzy DROS, or just Dros, is a Moroccan rapper, songwriter and producer. DROS first gained widespread recognition with the release of his debut music video, Casafonia, in 2011.[1] The track received significant airplay on major Moroccan radio stations, including Hit Radio, Radio Mars, and Cap Radio, quickly establishing him as a rising star in the Moroccan rap scene and earning him a fanbase.

His 2019 track Moutanabbi (Al-Mutanabbi), a bold response to Don Bigg's diss track 170KG achieved viral success, surpassing one million views on YouTube in less than 24 hours, and over 24 million views as of April, 2025.

DROS solidified his position in Moroccan hip-hop with the release of his debut album, 3azzy 3ando Stylo, widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential albums in Moroccan music history.[2][3][4]

Early life

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Born in 1989 in Casablanca, Morocco, Dros grew up in the Bine El-Mdoune neighborhood. His stage name, "DROS," is an acronym for 'Da Rhymes of Streets,' and he also performs under the alias Mr. Cazafonia. He began writing lyrics and developing his rap style at the age of 17.[5]

Career

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Early career

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For four years, Dros worked on demo singles before releasing his breakthrough track, "Cazafonia," in 2011. This early period included a significant collaboration with Khalid Douache, a key figure in Moroccan hip-hop, who directed the music video for the track and helped elevate DROS's profile.

His debut album, 3azzy 3ando Stylo (33S), was released on November 22, 2013. The 21-track album, featuring collaborations with rappers like Muslim and Shayfeen, focused on the life of Moroccan urban youth. Its release was celebrated at the Instituto Cervantes in Casablanca. That year, he also performed at major festivals like L'Boulevard des Jeunes Musiciens and shared the stage with the Colombian group C15 and the Moroccan group H-Kayne at the Centre Culturel Renaissance in Rabat.[6]

Concurrently, Dros began appearing in mainstream media, participating in debates on Moroccan artists and the internet on shows like Génération News and making appearances on the Moroccan public channel 2M and various radio programs.[7] In February 2014, he performed at the 7th Edition of the Maroc Web Awards at the National Theatre Mohamed V in Rabat.[8][9][10]

Mainstream prominence

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In 2019, Dros released "Moutanabbi," a diss track aimed at fellow Moroccan rapper Don Bigg, which garnered significant attention. That same year, he ventured into voice acting, portraying the character "Measurehead" in the critically acclaimed video game Disco Elysium.[11]

Dros was one of the singers that took part in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup official song entitled “Welcome to Morocco”,[12][13] that took place in Morocco.[14] On February 14, 2023, he released "M3a L3echrane," a music video featuring impersonations of public figures and containing political and social critiques. The video surpassed ten million views on YouTube within its first five days of release.[15][16]

In 2024, Dros, alongside ElGrandeToto, served as a head judge on the national rap competition television show JamShow, which aimed to showcase Morocco's rising hip-hop talent.[17][18] Nezar was crowned the winner of the competition.[19][20] The following months marked major commercial milestones. In April 2025, Dros became the first artist from the MENA region to secure an endorsement deal with the global sportswear brand Puma.[21] That same month, he signed a record deal with Warner Music Middle East, which his management team described as "the biggest deal in the history of Moroccan rap."[22]

Political views

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In an interview with Middle East Eye, DROS reflects on his own “red lines” as an artist, saying: “There are limits I don’t cross … if you go so hard you lose the message, you lose people.[23]

During the Gen Z protests in Morocco, DROS publicly expressed his support for the movement, denounced police violence against protesters, and called for the government's resignation.[24] He also signed an open letter from over 60 intellectuals and artists addressed to King Mohammed VI, calling for transparency, the release of all GenZ212 detainees and political prisoners and the eradication of corruption.[25]

Critical response

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3azzy 3ando Stylo is considered by the magazine TelQuel as "one of the best hip hop albums of these last ten years" in Morocco.[26] The magazine DimaTOP described the album as "artistically excellent and culturally impactful."[27] The magazine Aujourd'hui Le Maroc described Dros' rap style as "an impressive flow, an improvisation that flirts with the mastery of words."[28]

Discography

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Mixtape

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  • 3azzy 3ando Style (2012)

Album

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  • 3azzy 3ando Stylo (2013)

Ep

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  • Tall Poppy Syndrome (2025)

Charted songs

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Title Year Peak chart position Album
MENA
[29]
"M3a L3echrane" 2023 3 Non-album single

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Khalid DOUACHE (2011-11-11). Dizzy DROS - Cazafonia (Official HD). Retrieved 2025-03-21 – via YouTube.
  2. ^ Ben Tarki, Moujahid. "33S Review: American West Coast Meets Moroccan Excellence". DimaTOP Magazine. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  3. ^ "From Thematic to Street Dizzy Dros's Impact". Rwipa.com. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
  4. ^ Goldsmith, Melissa Ursula Dawn; Fonseca, Anthony J. (2018-12-01). Hip Hop around the World: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-0-313-35759-6.
  5. ^ "DROS SUR HIT RADIO". Hit Radio. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  6. ^ "Fábrica de Rimas en Rabat". AECID. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  7. ^ Ouassat, Mehdi (November 27, 2013). "Le rappeur Dizzy Dros : L'autoproduction me permet de préserver ma liberté". Libération. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  8. ^ Sakhi, Hafsa (February 2, 2014). "Maroc Web Awards: 13 lauréats pour la 7ème édition". Le Matin. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  9. ^ "Et les gagnants de la septième édition des Maroc Web Awards sont..." Archived from the original on 1 March 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  10. ^ Roudaby, Youssef (February 5, 2014). "Les Maroc Web Awards récompensent la culture geek". TelQuel. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Disco Elysium - The Final Cut — Meet Measurehead / Dizzy DROS — Новости Steam". store.steampowered.com (in Russian). 2019-10-04. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
  12. ^ Aamari, Oussama. "FIFA Releases Club World Cup Song Produced by Morocco's RedOne". moroccoworldnews. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  13. ^ "Award-winning producer Red One to make Club World Cup's song with Douzi and Asmae Lmnawar". HESPRESS English - Morocco News. 2023-01-19. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  14. ^ "Club World Cup: Hosts Morocco seek to impress Fifa after heroics in Qatar". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  15. ^ "ديزي دْرُوسْ يلقّن الحكومة دُروسه... هل أصبح الراب المغربي سيّد المشهد؟". رصيف 22 (in Arabic). 2023-02-24. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  16. ^ "في 4 أيام.. أزيد من 10 ملايين مشاهدة لـ "مع العشران" لديزي دروس (فيديو)". كيفاش (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-02-26.
  17. ^ "Jam SHOW -Prime 1: Dizzy Dross et ElGrande Toto à la recherche de nouvelles pépites du rap… Replay". 2M.ma (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  18. ^ "El Grande Toto et Dizzy Dros têtes d'affiche de Jam Show, la première émission dédiée au rap". Telquel.ma (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  19. ^ "Dizzy Dros & ElGrande Toto, jury de choc pour "Jam Show", le télécrochet dédié au rap, mardi à 22h00". 2M.ma (in French). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  20. ^ Babas, Latifa (June 13, 2024). "Jam Show crowns Morocco's Newest rap star Nezar". Yabiladi. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  21. ^ MATIN, LE (2024-12-31). "Planet Sport et Puma signent un partenariat avec Dizzy Dros". Le Matin.ma (in French). Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  22. ^ "Proud to welcome @dizzydros to the Warner Music MENA family". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  23. ^ "Dizzy Dros on 'M3a L3echrane' success, his red lines and evolving as a rapper (Part 2) | Real Talk". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  24. ^ Moujahid, Ben Tarki. "Gen Z Protests In Morocco: The Hip-Hop Community Reacted". Dimatop. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  25. ^ Naim, Firdaous (2025-10-08). "GenZ212: Over 60 Intellectuals, Artists, and Activists Address Open Letter to Morocco's King". Morocco World News. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  26. ^ Saadi, Meryem (December 8, 2013). "Dizzy Dros, le rappeur qui monte". TelQuel. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  27. ^ "Album Rating: 3azzy 3ando Stylo Review | DimaTOP Magazine". DimaTOP. 2025-03-14. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
  28. ^ Nigrou, Imane (December 19, 2013). "Fnac Casablanca : Dizzy Dros et Nhass en show case". Aujourd'hui Le Maroc. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  29. ^ Peak chart positions for singles in MENA: