Wegz

Wegz (; born Ahmed Ali Shahat ; 11 September 1998) is an Egyptian rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor. Raised in the Al Wardian neighbourhood of Alexandria, he is widely credited with bringing Egyptian trap music and Arabic hip hop into the mainstream of the Arab music industry. His music blends Western trap and hip hop with Egyptian Mahraganat, Shaabi folk music, R&B, and Afrobeats.

Wegz first gained national attention with the 2018 single "TNT" and broke into wider Arab mainstream consciousness with the 2020 single "Dorak Gai" (, "You're Next"), which accumulated more than 24 million YouTube views within two months of release. In 2022, his crossover single "El Bakht" (, "Luck") peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Billboard Arabia Hot 100 and was named the most-streamed song in the Arab world that year. He has been the most-streamed artist in Egypt on Spotify for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), and in December 2022 was named Spotify's most-streamed Arab artist across the MENA region.

Early life

Ahmed Ali Shahat was born on 11 September 1998 in Alexandria, Egypt, and grew up in the working-class Al Wardian neighbourhood. His father's roots are from Luxor in Upper Egypt, though some Arabic-language sources also note Yemeni ancestry on his paternal side. Because his father's work required the family to move frequently, he attended multiple schools as a child, a circumstance he has credited with developing his outgoing personality and ability to form friendships quickly.

The stage name "Wegz" was given to him by a close friend. In interviews he has said he does not know the meaning of the name and that he regrets never having asked. That same year he released "Kharban" , a collaboration with Mahraganat pioneers Sadat and Amr Haha.

His 2019 single "Bazeet" (, "It's Ruined") was the first of his tracks to go widely viral across Egypt, played in shops, minibuses, and at public gatherings. He was named Spotify Egypt's most-streamed artist of 2020, finishing ahead of veteran pop star Amr Diab. He was included on the 2021 Arab music stars list compiled by Forbes Middle East and was featured by GQ Middle East among the 21 most exciting young musicians in the world. and peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Arabia Hot 100.

In 2025, Wegz released two EPs, Aqareb (, "Relatives") and Gadwal El Darb (, "Multiplication Table"), alongside singles including "ELWA3D," "Kalam Forsan" featuring veteran Egyptian singer Mohamed Mounir, and "Girlfriend" featuring French R&B singer Tayc.

Artistry

Wegz's sound is characterised by its eclecticism. His early work was rooted in trap and mumble rap, but he has progressively incorporated Mahraganat, Shaabi, R&B, Afrobeats, pop, and drill into his productions. He makes extensive use of Auto-Tune pitch processing, which became integral to his signature vocal style and helped shape the sound of Egyptian trap during the late 2010s.

His lyrics, written entirely in Egyptian Arabic, draw on colloquial slang and the lived experiences of working-class youth in Egyptian cities. He has cited his musical influences as including Egyptian and Arab artists such as Ahmed Adaweyah, Mohamed Mounir, Cheb Mami, and Dalida, alongside international hip-hop figures including Mobb Deep, Future, Young Thug, and ASAP Rocky.

Wegz has described taking pride in representing Egypt internationally while keeping his Egyptian audience as his primary focus. He has explained that because Egyptians are already familiar with international music, he is able to draw on global beats and layer Egyptian cultural references over them. Although he has sung exclusively in Arabic (with occasional English phrases), he has indicated openness to recording in other languages.

Discography

Extended plays

Year Title Notes 2019 Geziret El Batal 2020 Dorak Gai With Molotov 2025 Aqareb 2025 Gadwal El Darb

Selected singles

Year Title Notes 2017 "Batalo Fake" Featuring Hesham Raptor 2018 "T.N.T" 2018 "Kharban" Featuring Sadat and Amr Haha 2018 "Saleny" 2019 "Bazeet" 2019 "Laqtta" 2020 "Dorak Gai" With Molotov 2020 "Wahd Wa Eshrin" 2020 "El Ghasala" 2020 "Skerty" 2021 "3afareet El Asphalt" 2021 "Msh Khalsa" With ElGrandeToto 2022 "El Bakht" Peaked at No. 14 on Billboard Arabia Hot 100 2022 "Amira" 2022 "Anghami" 2022 "B3oda Ya Belady" From Captains of Zaatari 2022 "Ezz Al Arab" 2022 FIFA World Cup anthem 2025 "ELWA3D" 2025 "Kalam Forsan" Featuring Mohamed Mounir 2025 "Girlfriend" Featuring Tayc

Filmography

Television

Year Title Role Notes 2021 Bimbo Supporting Directed by Amr Salama; with Ahmed Malek and Huda El-Mufti; Shahid VIP

Awards and recognition

Year Award / Recognition Notes 2020 Spotify Egypt Wrapped Most-streamed artist in Egypt 2021 Spotify Egypt Wrapped Most-streamed artist in Egypt 2021 Forbes Middle East Arab Music Stars list 2021 GQ Middle East 21 Most Exciting Young Musicians in the World 2022 Billboard Arabia Hot 100 "El Bakht" peaked at #14 2022 GQ Men of the Year Award winner 2022 AFRIMA 5 nominations: Best Male Artist in Northern Africa; Song of the Year; Producer of the Year; Artist of the Year; Best Artist, Duo or Group in African Contemporary 2022 Spotify MENA Wrapped Most-streamed Arab artist in the MENA region 2022 Anghami Second highest-streamed artist (144 million streams) 2023 The New York Times Profile: "The Egyptian Rapper Who Wants to Take Arabic Hip-Hop Worldwide"