PopArabia, the leading music publisher and independent music company in the Middle East and North Africa, in conjunction with Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSVR), an award-winning independent music company, has signed Moroccan hip-hop star 7liwa (pronounced Ha-Lee-Wa) to a worldwide recording and publishing deal. The deal includes 7liwa’s current and future works, including new single “Hallelujah,” which was released March 10th.

Based in Morocco, Ihab Ikbal, pka 7liwa, has been an active artist for over a decade, establishing himself as a major influence on the region’s emerging and now thriving rap and trap scene. In fact, since beginning his career in 2011, 7liwa has become one of the Top 10 streamed artists in Morocco, with his indie self-releases amassing nearly 250 million combined streams on YouTube.

To date, 7liwa has released three albums and numerous singles, and has collaborated with many influential Middle Eastern artists, including Lartiste, LBenj, and Shayfeen, among others. He first rose to prominence in 2013 with his breakout hit “Da7k T9ada,” followed by his 2014 mixtape, Ktabi Baki. By 2016, 7liwa began gaining recognition for his massively popular releases on YouTube. His single “Mimi” has racked up over 20 million views, while “Gonzales,” a collaboration with Lartiste, has accumulated over 28 million views, and “Yema,” a 2018 single with Balti, boasts over 51 million views. On the heels of these successes, 7liwa released his most recent album, Weld Fatima II, last year, followed by two 2021 singles “Ça Tourne Dans Ma Tete” and “Marfoud.” With exciting new music to come in 2022, 7liwa has maintained his impressive popularity in the MENA region and continues to be one of its leading voices in hip-hop.

On the new deal with PopArabia, 7liwa said, “This is a project close to my heart, and I’m looking forward to sharing this album across the world with PopArabia.”

PopArabia founder and Reservoir EVP of International and Emerging Markets Spek added, “7liwa is an incredible talent, who we’re excited to bring to PopArabia. Over his career, he has built a truly impressive fanbase while helping define hip-hop for the MENA region. We look forward to introducing his talent to new audiences, identifying additional opportunities for him, and supporting his successes on a global scale.”