Raised on soul, R&B, and a solid dose of Middle Eastern grooves, Z the People (زين الناس) was drawn to instruments at an early age. Hailing from the Palestinina diaspora, he was born and raised in Washington D.C, where he spent his teenage years performing in clubs on the saxophone as a part of the capital’s vibrant and innovative Jazz and Gogo music scenes.
This experience, combined with his connection to the regional music scene, he co-formed the electronic Dabke group 47SOUL as well as recording, and then touring, his debut album. With his solo work and band work gaining strong momentum and demand with international festivals, he relocated to London with 47SOUL.
Drawing on the new melting pot of urban genres such as drill, grime and shamstep and the experience of freestyling on global street corners, his solo work progressed to incorporate more hip-hop, culminating in his all-acoustic second album “Sami’s Boy”, released in 2019.