DYSTINCT

Born into a Moroccan family in Mortsel, near Antwerp, Belgium, on September 9, 1998, Ilias Mansouri became known as Dystinct. Influenced by his singer father, Ilias Mansouri naturally turned to musical activities in his teens. As soon as he reached adulthood, he moved to Amsterdam, signed to the Dutch label Avalon Music and began recording his first compositions. He collaborated with local artists such as F1rstman on Kabhi (2017), then enjoyed success the same year with his song "No Ring Ring", which racked up several million listens. His rap, which blends influences from R&B, pop and raï, won him over, and Dystinct went on to export his work with prestigious collaborations: "Que Pasa" (2018) with Franglish, "Passer Passer" (2019) with DJ Hamida and CHK, and "Problematik" (2020) with TiiwTiiw. In 2021, Dystinct unveils Mon Voyage, his first long-awaited project, which continues to sell well in Morocco. Now recognized in the rap world, Dystinct transcends himself and in 2022 unveils a hit, "Ghazali" with Bryan MG, which adds up to tens of millions of views and reaches the ears of the Moroccan national soccer team, who celebrate their exploits at the 2022 World Cup to the music of the Belgian rapper. Building on this international reputation, the singer expanded his guest list on his second album Layali (2023), featuring contributions from Naza, MHD, B Young, Hatim Hammor, Kouz1, Ricky Rich & Dafina Zeqiri, Makar, Franglish, Jonna Fraser and Unleaded. Collaborations continue with Dadju on "Pas comme ça" and "Mazal " in 2024, then Werenoi on "Boss" in 2025. The duet with Jul on "Princessa", unveiled at the same time, gives a foretaste of the Bababa World album, which also features contributions from D-Block Europe, J Balvin, 3robi, French Montana, Gazo, Gims, Morad, Faouzia, Mohamed Ramadan and Dhurata Dora.