JEDDO Uncut: Interview with Al Masshad TV

JEDDO's interview on Rap Up, a music interview and hip-hop podcast and show produced by Al Mashhad TV, hosted by Maad Tsufra featuring rappers in the United Arab Emirates. (published November 21, 2024)

JEDDO is not interested in conforming. As one of the most versatile Saudi-based artists operating today, he has spent the last decade bending Arab rap to fit his exact specifications. Raised in the Hijazi culture across Makkah, Medinah, and Jeddah, his music reflects the chaotic, multicultural energy of his upbringing. Now based in the UAE and backed by the independent powerhouse A.L.L. Arabia, Jeddo is exporting his specific brand of alternative hip-hop across the MENA region.

We sat down with the rapper to discuss his recording process, the massive success of his single "MALALAN," and how a 10-year ban from the country he was born in only made him work harder.

Read the full interview gist below:

INTERVIEW Q&A

Q: You were born in Makkah and started making music in Jeddah, but you spent three years living in Mauritania due to a residency ban. How did that abrupt change affect you?

JEDDO: I'd be lying if I said my life isn't upside down. I was born in Saudi Arabia, lived there, ate there, and shared bread and salt with the people. It's my homeland. When the residency issues got complicated and I was hit with a 10-year ban, I had to go to Mauritania. You sleep, you wake up, and you are in a new problem you know nothing about. But I took it as a challenge. I don't see problems; if I get out of a stage, I must have unlocked the stage that comes after. It taught me the culture I come from.

Q: Your shift into rap was actually caused by a physical injury, right?

JEDDO: Exactly. Back in 2018, I was breakdancing and doing parkour. I tried a move I wasn't qualified for, fell on my back, and got injured. I couldn't move the same way, but the passion for music was still there. So I went to the market, bought a microphone and headphones, came home, and just kept grinding. I kept digging until I reached a level where people heard it and told me, "Let's shoot a video."

Q: Your workflow is notoriously fast. How do you approach a beat when you're in your home studio?

JEDDO: I don't really write my music in the traditional sense. Maybe 30 percent of the time I write verses. The other 70 percent is me getting on the mic and just flowing until I like what I’m making, adding words into it as I catch the rhythm. I let the music dictate where I go.

Q: Let’s talk about "MALALAN." It played all over Saudi radio and is still heavily played four years later. Why did that specific track connect so deeply with Arab youth culture?

JEDDO: It comes down to two things: the rhyme scheme and the musical tone. I picked a very specific tone that sticks in your head. I took one flow, rode it with the same ending rhyme, and built it up slowly. Even though the title means "boredom," the energy of the track is anything but boring.

Q: While you were in the studio recently, you received news that your mother passed away. How did you handle that as an artist who uses music to process emotions?

JEDDO: I was in the back room making music. My sister barged in crying, and my brother told me on the phone. My father passed away when I was three years old, so at that moment, I was the man of the house. I had to remain calm and handle the funeral. I put my feelings on hold because I had to act. It wasn't until three days after the funeral that I called a friend and finally broke down. I advise all the youth to honor their mothers while they are still here. She is your answer to the world.

Q: You moved to the UAE in 2024 and you're working heavily with A.L.L. Arabia. Why choose this independent route instead of a major label?

JEDDO: A.L.L. Arabia has been there from the start. We formed organically when we were just making music together in the early days. I value my freedom. Music flows through me comfortably, so I need the infrastructure around me to be seamless too. There is no drama, no nonsense. Just free music making.

Q: When a listener hits play on your catalog, what is the ultimate takeaway?

JEDDO: Speak your truth and be authentic. It’s not worth it to conform. I’ve always done things my own way, regardless of what I was taught or forced to follow. I want people in this region to have music that speaks to them directly, makes them feel understood, and inspires them to speak their own truth.

Jeddo is currently recording new material in the UAE. His latest tracks, including the collaborative release "Chakra," are available across all streaming platforms under A.L.L. Arabia.