DJ BLACKO, whose real name is Rouabhi Issam Daoud, is an Algerian music producer and arranger from the city of Oran, specifically from the historic neighborhood of El Kamil, famously known as the “Quartier des artistes” (Artists’ Quarter), where he grew up surrounded by major names in the Algerian music scene, including Cheb Khaled.

 

Born in 1988, he began his musical journey at the early age of six when his mother gifted him his first electronic keyboard. He was deeply influenced by his musical surroundings, particularly by Mohamed Hadj Ibrahim (Cheb Khaled’s nephew), a talented pianist known by the nickname “Jazz Man.”

 

At the age of 14, he stepped into the world of music production through internet cafés. Soon after, he was discovered by Algerian filmmaker Houari Maimoun, who gave him the opportunity to compose music for several drama and comedy productions, including:

 

🎬 LE SECRET (film)

📺 El Fendek (TV series)

🎭 Crazy Family (TV series)

🎟️ Le Ticket (comedy film)

🎻 El Awatar (The Strings – drama film with director Mohamed Loukal)

 

In early 2022, he launched a unique artistic project: remixing and re-arranging the songs of Cheb Hasni, blending emotional Rai with global rhythms like rap, trap, drill, reggae, dancehall, reggaeton, flamenco, and more. This new direction gained widespread popularity in the Maghreb and sparked significant engagement on YouTube and social media platforms.

 

🔊 What sets DJ BLACKO apart is that he doesn’t just apply surface-level edits — he completely recreates the music from scratch, giving each song a new soul that makes it feel as if it was born today, not back in the 90s. In addition to Cheb Hasni, he has also produced remixes for legendary artists like Cheb Khaled, Cheb Nasro, Cheb Mami, and Cheikh Fethi. Still, Hasni remains the closest to his heart, due to the emotional depth of his voice and its versatility with any musical style.

 

🎯 DJ BLACKO's ambition is to revive Algerian emotional Rai music on the global stage and to produce music for major international artists and films.

DISCOGRAPHY

REGGAE RAI COMPILATION