On the cusp of a breakthrough:
Authenticité’s Talents
At Authenticité, our primary goal is to champion talent. We take the cultural landscape in the KSA, put it under the microscope and look to find the people who are on the cusp of leaving a legacy. All Authenticité Talent stems from cultural innovation
Aziz
Our first introducing feature is AZIZ. Having recently been featured on Apple Music’s Best Song Page, he’s colleborated with widespread talent such as JB MADE IT of Drake and French Montana fame. Born and raised in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. AZIZ.wav was exposed to a variety of different genres at a very young age, which led him to partake in music and try out different genres and sounds. Influenced by various different types of musical cultures around the world. He now possesses a unique and versatile style, mixing Afrobeats, R&B and Hiphop in his joint fusion. AZIZ.wav tends to make music that makes you feel a certain type of emotion. So what’s he all about? We sit down with the musician and find out what makes him tick.
Can you remember the first time you started writing music?
I first started writing lyrics when I was 13 years old, but I never really took it seriously when I was younger. I realized that I had something while in the UK, when I was getting my bachelor’s degree. I started taking music seriously back in 2016. I eventually dropped in 2021 when I knew that I found my sound.
“Success is having people feel something when they listen to my craft.’’
What is the most important thing you want people to take away from it?
The most important thing to me is that they grab a feeling. It could be joy, sadness or anything in between; as long as I make the listener feel a way from my music, I know I’ve done something worth listening to.
If you could cherry-pick one track that means the most to you, which one would it be and why?
Well, all of my songs are my favourites, I love all the tracks I’ve made so far. Every song I create is me giving out a piece of my emotions and feelings to the listener. That’s why they are all so special to me. If I had to pick one song, it’s gonna have to be “Wave Tide”, My first single that started all of this.
How do you define success as a musician?
Everyone defines success in their own way. Success is having people feel something when they listen to my craft. I want my sound to be internationally known. I want to be as big as the icons, so my expectations are very high.
What do you want to bring to the music scene in KSA?
I want to bring a diverse sound, elevate our sound and make it globally known. I would like local artists to get more recognition, locally and globally.
How do you see yourself evolving as an artist?
The music scene in Saudi Arabia itself is still evolving daily as we speak, and we are growing with it. We can evolve internationally by collaborating with well-established international artists and international brands to broaden our exposure.
What is authenticity to you?
Authenticity is creating your unique sound, doing what you want, and coming up with something new. I don’t like to be marginalized by a genre because I tend to mix a few elements from each genre to create my own unique sound.
More is more or less is more?
It can go both ways, depending on what situation you’re in.
What is style to you?
Style comes in different manners. The way you carry yourself, the way you talk and the way you dress.., me personally I love fashion so style is important to me in all aspects.
Nabil Adil
Our second Authenticité Talent is the inimitable Nabil Adili. Saudi music producer and creative connoisseur, who goes by the moniker NBL, has been making waves in the region for quite some time now. Nabil Adili specializes in Hip-Hop exhibits versatility in all genres. After dominating both the commercial and the creative scene, NBL ventured into various industries, including but not limited to film and fashion. His innovative and revolutionary production style attracted the attention of several key members in the industry, leading to ground-breaking collaborations and a solid audience within Saudi Arabia and the GCC. We sit down with the young producer and see his take on the ever-evolving cultural landscape in the KSA.
Can you remember the first time you started writing music?
Of course! Growing up, we had this old-time keyboard that I used to mess around on, and I was never interested in learning how to play popular songs or classics or whatever, I loved just pushing keys and trying to come up with melodies and stuff. They weren’t the greatest melodies, I can assure you that! However, after a couple of years, probably in 2014, I got introduced to the world of beat-making and production, I downloaded my first DAW, and that’s where my journey started.
What is the most important thing you want people to take away from it?
I mean, there’s a lot that goes into the music, it is such a long and personal process, and all we as artists can hope for is that the audience hears and feels that in the music. It’s also really important to all of us that the general public starts to look more towards Saudi and Arab artists, and we finally start to export art instead of importing it.
“I don’t want to live by the industry standard set by the music scene in the west, I want to set the standard.”
If you could cherry-pick one track that means the most to you, which one would it be, and why?
This is a really difficult question! I try so hard to constantly experiment with new sounds and genres, and put a little bit of me into the records, that it’s almost impossible to cherry-pick. However, if I had to choose, I would definitely highlight the tracks ‘Hometown Hero’ and ‘This God Forsaken Place,’ I loved working on these tracks because of the phenomenal features and the creative process that went into producing these songs.
How do you define success as a musician?
Most musicians often characterize success in the industry as fame and fortune, and sure, I guess the goal is to be able to profit from doing something you are passionate about, but to me, succeeding in the music industry begins with being able to create an authentic Saudi sound, and being able to take this sound internationally. Having industry legends come to us looking for this sound and taking it back with them.
What do you want to bring to the music scene in KSA?
Equal opportunities, healthy competition, and music industry education. Basically, an ecosystem that allows for artist growth, an ecosystem that’s built on how we do business. I don’t want to live by the industry standard set by the music scene in the west, I want to set the standard. I want future artists to be able to focus on the music and creating something unique and different, but also be educated on all the hard work it takes to see growth and evolution in your career, and being able to do this in your hometown, our way.
How do you see yourself evolving as an artist?
I mean, one thing I strongly believe in is growth through collaboration, I don’t believe in sticking to one thing that I’m good at and closing off to any opportunities I might get to learn from other artists. Experimentation as well, getting out of your comfort zone. I remember Adel G trying to convince me for a whole year to do something similar to Jalsat Nabilia, and only when I genuinely started working on the series did I see massive growth in my production skills, even though it was something I wasn’t previously familiar with or even worried about venturing into. And it was after noticing that growth, he decided to partner with PassTheKabsa with the series. As well as all the support that came my way from people like Mr. Hatem AlAkeel, that allowed me to evolve comfortably and on my own terms, and keep this hunger. I definitely see myself developing my skills more in Arabic music and infusing that with contemporary beats.
What is authenticity to you?
Authenticity to me is instilling my work with the values and morals that we were all raised upon. Authenticity to me is the beauty in creating something from nothing. Authenticity to me is being able to speak to one person out of a million people, through music, even when they’re hundreds of thousands of miles away.
More is more or less is more?
Beautiful question by the way. Definitely less is more. This is something I think about constantly when working on my craft. Being able to make a song sound so full, so well rounded and so complete, while still maintaining minimalism; that emphasizes elegance and beauty.
What is style to you?
I equate style with culture and personality. As people, we are raised upon modesty and elegance, which doesn’t necessarily mean fundamentalism or conservativeness. It means beauty behind simplicity, portraying the realness of a culture through style.