“Ghalbi Hazah Lma, Goulili Ghi Kalma.” In his hit track “Zalima,” DYSTINCT sings these lyrics in Darija, a Moroccan Arabic dialect, which loosely translates to: “My heart is moved, just tell me one word.” Fortunately for us, he’s giving us more than just one word.
Born in Belgium to Moroccan parents, the singer has built a reputation for flirting between Arabic and Dutch over a signature blend of reggae, pop, and rap, a sound that has crowned him as one of the most-streamed artists across Europe and the MENA region. After his song “Ghazali” became the unofficial anthem for the Moroccan national team’s historic run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-finals, it’s been nothing but bangers after bangers that have even got the Mayor of New York City hooked.
We sat down with the global star to talk about heritage, breaking industry barriers, and his mission to make the whole world sing.
CosmoME: Tell us the origin story of your stage name. What is your full name, and who calls you that instead?
DYSTINCT: My stage name is DYSTINCT, but my full name is Iliass Mansouri. My close friends and family call me Iliass.
CosmoME: What’s your formula for creating banger after banger?
DYSTINCT: There is no formula. I always say you need to be in the studio with good vibes and good people around you. I have my people that I always work with, YAM and Unleaded. We understand each other very well. If you try to force a hit, it will never be a hit. The most important thing is simply having good vibes.
CosmoME: Who is your dream collab?
DYSTINCT: My dream collaboration is Drake. I am trying to make the world sing Arabic, and Drake is one of the most complete artists in the world. His influence is global, which aligns perfectly with my goal.
CosmoME: How does your Moroccan-Belgian identity influence your artistry?
DYSTINCT: I grew up in Belgium. There are a lot of Moroccans there, so when I was young, I never really missed Morocco because they brought Morocco to Belgium. When I go to Morocco, the same people are there, including my family. That gave me a lot of influence and helped shape me, not only in music but also in life.
CosmoME: What are some challenges you’ve faced in the industry as an Arab person?
DYSTINCT: In the beginning, people didn’t believe in it. I always had to show them first before they believed because what I was doing was new. I make Arabic music, but I also make it for non-Arabic people. When I tried to do my first tour, agencies didn’t want to work with us because they said Arabic music would not sell tickets. So we did it on our own, everything sold out, and that’s when they started to believe. Step by step, people are finally seeing that Arabic music is getting huge worldwide.
CosmoME: What are you most proud of?
DYSTINCT: What we are doing now with the team is showing the world Morocco and the culture, and letting people sing in my language. That is the most beautiful thing for me and what I am most proud of.
CosmoME: What is next? What are some projects you are working on?
DYSTINCT: What’s next is completing what I started. I want to make the whole world sing Arabic.
CosmoME: Do you have any advice for newcomers and young Arab artists?
DYSTINCT: My advice is to always stay yourself and be happy with what you are doing. People will see that, believe me.
Cosmo ME: Anything else you want to add?
DYSTINCT: BABABA World is going worldwide. DIMA MAGHREB.
Got MENA artists on repeat? Check out Akka’s very own, Lina Makoul.