Deen Squad

Deen Squad is a Canadian hip-hop duo from Ottawa, formed by Karter Zaher and Jae Deen in 2015 while both were students at Carleton University. The group became known for «halal remixes» — reworking popular rap and pop hits with Islam-compliant, faith-focused lyrics, often keeping the original beat and flow but replacing the content with messages about faith, community, and Muslim identity. Songs like «Allah’s Plan» and «Muslim Queen» played directly on well-known mainstream hits, giving the duo an instantly recognizable hook.

Their approach found a large audience largely through YouTube, where their videos racked up tens of millions of views and made them one of the most visible acts in the niche of Muslim-oriented hip-hop. Tracks such as «Madina», «Halal Boy», «Deen Stars» and «Cover Girl» extended the same formula across different source songs, blending rap and R&B-pop sensibilities with devotional themes. The group also drew criticism from some quarters over questions about the religious permissibility of their music.

Deen Squad split in May 2019 following a dispute between Karter Zaher and the group’s manager, Sami Abboud, and much of their video catalog was subsequently made private. Despite the short run, the duo left a distinct mark as pioneers of the halal-remix format within online Muslim music culture.