Thoom’s production as Khadije on Lil Asaf’s ‘Msll777’ brings grime-influenced futurism to Beirut

, 30 January 2020
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Lil Asaf is releasing single ‘Msll777’ via Los Angeles’ Astral Plane Recordings on January 30, with the music video premiering via AQNB today. Also known as Bashar Suleiman, this is the first time the Amman-born artist not only emcees but works with Berlin-based, Beirut-born Khadije (aka Thoom) producing.

In a recent feature on AQNB, Thoom (aka Zeynab Marwan) described her production work as always a reaction to her environment. For the ‘Msll777’ video—directed by Yusra Nazek—that environment is in Beirut, where the artists can be seen loitering in a rainy alleyway, often masked and hooded. Suleiman smokes and sings in Arabic over Marwan’s production, which broods through minimal beats and the subtle menace of a grime-y, futurist resistance.**

Lil Asaf’s ‘Msll777’ single is out via Los Angeles’ Astral Plane Recordings on January 30, 2020.