Morad

Crafting a pulsing, rapid-fire rap style from his hip-hop and electronic influences, Barcelona-born Morad emerged on the Spanish rap scene during the late 2010s, using his relentless flow to keep pace with his dancefloor-inspired productions. A rapid rise to fame during the 2020s saw him top the Spanish PROMUSICAE charts twice in 2021, first with Bizarrap collaboration "Morad: BZRP Music Sessions #47" and then with the solo single "Pelele."

Taking his moniker from his birth name of Morad El Khattouti El Horami, rapper Morad was born in Barcelona, where he began rapping at the age of 14. Though he began his career with more mainstream rhythms -- the slow, dembow-derived "Lo Que Quiera" and "Un Cuento" -- his debut mixtape saw the rapper make an immediate reach into a variety of styles; titled M.D.L.R. (Mec De La Rue) after a popular term in French drill, the 2019 project demonstrated the rapper’s versatility with reggaeton, trap, and electronic sounds. The rapper’s beat selection continued to evolve toward the close of 2019, with Morad using varied flows and Auto-Tune to move seamlessly through reggaeton ("Ven a Ver"), drill ("Aguantando"), and Afrobeats-inspired ("Avisado") styles.

Yet the sound that would become Morad’s signature was heard for the first time on 2020’s “Les Duele.” Rapping over something closer to an all-out dance track than a rap beat, his rapid-fire flow proved a natural complement to the production’s relentless beat and increased pace. Similar elements could be heard in a series of increasingly successful 2020 singles with “Bobo,” “Yo No Voy,” and “Motorola” slickly defining the Morad sound. With his style solidified, 2021 saw the rapper move from up-and-comer to global star. Along with minor hits in “Soñar,” “Cuando Ella Sale,” and “Cómo Están?”, he had his first number one with his appearance on Bizarrap ’s BZRP Sessions freestyle series, bringing in over 100 million streams online and topping the PROMUSICAE charts. His next single, the pulsing “Pelele,” was released just a month later and became his second number one-ranking hit. After a nomination for Best Urban Album at the Premios Odeón, he moved into 2022 with collaborative EP Capítulo 1 (alongside Beny Jr and K y B), released amid a string of individual singles and feature appearances. ~ David Crone, Rovi