Moh Flow, born Molham Homsi, is a citizen of the world. The Syrian-Palestinian rapper has been making music since 2010, and all the while, he has been splitting his time between the UAE — his current base — and Saudi Arabia.
“It was tough at first having to be far from the team,” he said. His team consists of KSA-based hip-hop group, Run Junxion, and his brother and main inspiration, Ayham. “But it turned out to be an opportunity for me to represent the team to different people in the UAE.”
In his latest effort to reach out to new crowds, Homsi launched his new 11-track EP, Inspired, on May 21 at the Fridge in Dubai. Physical copies became available in limited numbers at West L.A. boutique — and, according to Homsi’s Facebook page, by request — but Homsi has plans to make the album available online soon.
Just after the launch, he reflected on what it’s like to navigate the underground rap scene in the UAE in the face of so much emphasis placed on the commercial industry.
“The underground scene in Dubai is definitely hungry,” he said. “We focus all our efforts on international artists visiting the UAE but we forget to help the underground artists that maintain the scene and keep the city’s hip-hop heads supplied with good quality music throughout the year.”
The 21-year-old shared with tabloid! what he’s been doing to keep the growing scene alive.
Tell us about how you started your journey as a rapper.
I’ve always had a passion for music in general and even when I was young, I applied the album method when listening to music. I like an artist, I get their album and I listen to it to understand it. I started making music properly — right production and good quality equipment — around 2010, even though I had been trying since 2006. It all came together with my team Run Junxion and [my brother] Ayham, early 2010.
You say your brother, Ayham or ‘Ay’, was your initial inspiration. What are the most important lessons you learnt from him?
My brother has produced and supported my music and personal growth from an unparalleled viewpoint. Not only is he an inspiration to me and my team, he has managed to look beyond the cultural dynamics and mundane music settlements in the Middle East. He is the backbone. So for me, it’s just about the way we work as a duo. There’s no comparison.
How would you describe your style?
My style is what I would describe as personal but relatable. I write my music from a first-person point-of-view mainly, and I describe my life and what I go through everyday in a way that is complex enough to impress a listener but not too tough to grasp. Inspired marks a milestone in life that describes the journey I have been through.
Where did you get the title of your EP, Inspired, from?
My government name is Molham; Molham in Arabic translates into ‘inspired’ in English. I always go by Moh Flow but the reason I chose Inspired/Molham was because this EP was so personal to me that I felt like every song described a phase or stage that I passed throughout my life.
