Collectif Debo · Artist Profile
Rapper, Lyricist & Performer — Southern Suburbs of Tunis · Erkez HipHop
Biography
El Massi, born Mahdi Chammem in Tunis in 1990, is a Tunisian rapper, lyricist and performer, and one of the distinctive voices of the Tunisian hip-hop scene. Known for his punchlines, sharp writing and energetic delivery, Massi has developed an artistic identity deeply connected to hip-hop culture, urban life and the realities of contemporary Tunisia.
Massi began his musical journey at around the age of 15, immersing himself in hip-hop and drawing inspiration from the wider urban culture surrounding him. His style is particularly marked by his punchline-driven writing, direct expression and ability to combine humor, provocation and social observation. His artistic background is closely connected to the southern suburbs of Tunis, particularly Radès, where his long-running creative partnership with rapper VIPA took shape.
The collaboration between Massi and VIPA became one of the notable partnerships of the Tunisian rap scene. By 2016, the two artists had already been collaborating for more than eight years. Their chemistry produced a series of influential tracks and ultimately led to the creation of “Hakuna Matata,” a collaborative album recorded over several years and released through DEBO. Their track “Al 9ine3”, released in 2015, became one of their best-known collaborations.
Massi’s career developed in parallel with DEBO, the Tunisian urban arts collective founded in 2012. As one of the collective’s principal rappers, he participated in several of DEBO’s major projects and contributed to its development of an independent Tunisian hip-hop ecosystem. He was part of El Banda, the large-scale hip-hop performance created through DEBO’s artistic residencies, bringing together Massi, VIPA, Empire and WMD. The project explored different generations and styles of Tunisian hip-hop, including Boom Bap, Old School, Alternative and Trip-Hop.
His discography reflects a continuous presence in the Tunisian rap scene, with solo tracks including “Yetzand9ou,” “Ey N3am Baba,” “What U’ Askin For” and “Hakeka 7aja O5ra,” alongside his extensive work with VIPA. His collaborations have become an important part of the musical history of the DEBO generation.
Massi is also one of the three lead rappers of Erkez HipHop, alongside VIPA and Tiga Black’na. The project represents a major evolution in his artistic expression, placing his rap within a live musical environment that combines Tunisian Mezoued, bendir, darbouka and other traditional sounds with contemporary hip-hop. Rather than treating Tunisian musical heritage as something separate from hip-hop, Erkez HipHop transforms these elements into part of a contemporary stage language.
Through Erkez HipHop, Massi has performed on major Tunisian stages and participated in the project’s international development. In 2023, the group performed at the Festival International de Carthage, followed by the NO FANCY FENCE World Tour in 2024, taking the project to cities including Montréal, Québec, Berlin, Munich and Paris.
Massi’s artistic identity is built around the strength of his writing and his ability to move naturally between the raw language of Tunisian street rap and the musical experimentation of a live band. His work with VIPA, DEBO and Erkez HipHop places him within a generation of artists who helped push Tunisian hip-hop beyond the underground, while keeping its language, attitude and local identity at the centre.
Today, El Massi continues to perform and create with Erkez HipHop while developing his own artistic work and collaborations. His distinctive punchlines, Tunisian delivery and long-standing contribution to DEBO have made him an important figure in the evolution of contemporary Tunisian rap.
