Lijpe

Dutch-Morrocan rapper Lijpe, real name Abdessamed Achahbar, was born in Maarssen, Utrecht, Netherlands on 29 October 1992, and started his career sharing low-key videos he had made with his friends. He released his debut solo EP, Van de bodem naar de grond, in 2014 and charted on home soil, going to number 34 on the Dutch Album Top 100. His debut LP Levensles followed in 2015 and also charted in the top 20. That same year, he joined forces with the new-gen New Wave collective (that included Ronnie Flex, Jonna Fraser, and others) to record an eponymous album in ten days. The viral LP was released in April 2015 and earned the collective the Popprijs prize for their contribution to Dutch pop music. In 2016, Lijpe struck gold with his aptly titled second album, Jackpot, which rose to number two on the Dutch albums chart, as well as going to number 12 in Belgium, and put him on the map as a solo artist; his "Eng" single also achieved gold status. By his third album Zandloper, he was on a roll, soaring all the way to the top of the Netherlands albums chart while wading through the top 100 singles chart with the majority of the 14 self-produced tracks. He has maintained his grip on the Dutch charts with subsequent album releases, netting a hat-trick with Fastlife (2019), Dagboek (2020), and Verzegeld (2021), while shooting to the top of the charts again in 2022 with his statement-making self-titled album (ranked number 6), which spawned singles such as "Lege Bankjes". The rapper, who collaborates with Henkie T, KA, Djaga Djaga, Fatah, Mula B and KM, has other hits such as "Sabr" and "Zolang ik er ben" and "Freestyle" in 2023, then "Geen Hoogmoed" in 2024.