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Description
Arabesk rap is a Turkish hip‑hop micro‑style that fuses the fatalistic, melodramatic sound world of arabesk with hard‑edged rap delivery.
Producers build beats around lifted hooks and orchestral phrases from classic arabesk recordings (strings, bağlama/saz, kanun, ney), then anchor them with 808s, trap‑style drums, and minor‑mode harmonies reminiscent of makam such as Hicaz and Nihavend.
Vocal performances are typically aggressive and emotive, pairing street narratives with themes of heartbreak, poverty, addiction, and resignation that have long defined arabesk lyricism.
Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, Rate Your Music, MusicBrainz, and other online sources
History
Turkish hip hop matured in the 1990s and 2000s while arabesk—Turkey’s massively popular, melodramatic pop style—remained a dominant cultural force. Early Turkish rappers occasionally referenced arabesk timbres and themes, but full integration was sporadic.
In the late 2000s producers and MCs began building tracks almost entirely from arabesk samples, looping recognizable orchestral lines and bağlama riffs beneath hard rap vocals. This crystallized a distinct scene that listeners dubbed “arabesk rap.”
Throughout the 2010s, artists refined the sound with trap drum programming, heavier 808s, and cleaner sample chops. Viral singles and YouTube videos amplified the style beyond local neighborhoods, and younger rappers adopted arabesk’s lyrical tropes—fatalism, longing, and working‑class struggle—within contemporary hip‑hop song forms.
Arabesk rap continues as both a sampling practice and a mood palette within Turkish rap. It has informed the broader Turkish trap and drill waves, normalized arabesk hooks in urban pop/rap crossovers, and preserved a uniquely Turkish emotional register within modern hip‑hop.
