Shbash's EP 'A5r Zman' is a Snapshot of Jordan's underground Rap Scene

Bashar Saleh, better known as Shbash, has steadily carved out his own lane within the Jordanian and Palestinian hip-hop scenes. His catalogue may be sparse, but each release lands with intent, sleek, forward-thinking productions that balance introspection with sharp social observation.

His latest project, A5r Zman, is a four-track dispatch from the margins of urban youth culture in Jordan. Rather than leaning into overt political rhetoric, Shbash filters his critique through existential realism, probing themes of hustle, loyalty and survival in a scene shaped as much by internal tensions as external pressures.

Sonically, A5r Zman threads together dark drill, ambient undercurrents and industrial grit, complemented by Shbash’s heavily auto-tuned vocals. On ‘Dawaween’, a charged collaboration with Palestinian rap visionary Rknddn, the pair trade clipped, rapid-fire verses over sliding, distorted 808s and razor-sharp percussion, to capture the paranoia of a generation navigating social instability and constant surveillance, even from those within their own circles.

‘Da3na’ pulls the tempo down, settling into a sparse, atmospheric soundscape drenched in reverb and delay. Shbash’s flow feels distant and worn, his melodic cadence hovering like a transmission from the “end times” suggested by the project’s title. Then there’s ‘Mooj’, arguably the record’s most pointed moment. Here, Shbash turns his gaze inward, critiquing opportunism within the scene and calling out artists willing to dilute their principles to ride the region’s latest rap wave.

In just four tracks, A5r Zman feels deliberate and tightly constructed. Shbash doesn’t overextend his ideas; instead, he sketches a clear portrait of a scene negotiating pressure, ambition and disillusionment. It’s a concise statement that reinforces his role as a measured, self-aware voice within Jordanian and Palestinian rap, one who is not concerned with the flashy glitz of the industry nowadays.