Benab

Benab, born Youness Benabdelouahed, is a French rapper from Sevran in Seine-Saint-Denis (93), one of the districts that has shaped much of contemporary French rap. He built his name through a steady stream of singles rather than a single breakout hit, drawing listeners in with «Baléares» in 2018 before expanding his catalogue with tracks like «Rude» alongside Maes and «RS3».

His sound sits at the crossroads of rap, pop and R&B, favouring melodic hooks and radio-friendly production over pure lyrical bravado, which has helped his music travel beyond hardcore rap audiences. Songs such as «Mon poto», «Sourire» and «Andale» show his comfort with catchy, hook-driven songwriting, while collaborations with artists like Kalash Criminel place him within the wider Île-de-France rap scene.

His debut album Dracarys, released in September 2019, consolidated this approach across a full project, and he followed it with Au clair de la rue in 2021, later reissued the same year with additional tracks. Benab represents a strand of French rap focused less on grit and more on accessible, melodic songcraft.