Shobee: His Album HOWLS is Full of Dark Confessions
In the darkness, voices whisper, drawing you in until you can’t tell if they’re real or just echoes in your mind. Your steps are heavy, the cold seeps into your bones, and suddenly, you hear a sound. It isn’t there to scare you; it’s a reminder of all the times you’ve felt lost inside your own head. This is Shobee’s confession, and with Howls, he demands your full attention.
Just as a wolf’s howl embodies loneliness and primal instinct, Howls is the sound of Shobee’s mind during a difficult phase of his life. The album was released at a time when he was experiencing a significant rise in fame while also battling silent internal conflicts. Each track feels like a page from a private diary, one filled with small triumphs, huge letdowns, and questions that have no answers. This project wasn’t made for a listener who just wants a chill vibe; it was created to show you what’s on the inside, even if the sound is noisy and the words are heavy. Howls won’t let you stay comfortable; it will pull you into darkness to show you the light.
WATCH Shobee – Power | A COLORS SHOW | Moroccan rapper and composer Shobee premieres his lead single ‘Power’, from his album HOWLS. Uploaded on Mar 16, 2023. PS: Shobee is the first Moroccan rapper to perform at COLORS.
Production: The Sound of the Psyche
The musical production on Howls is, without a doubt, one of the album’s strongest elements. It plays a major role in creating the atmosphere, themes, and psychological messages Shobee wanted to convey. The production here isn’t just decoration; it’s a narrative element, a voice that tells the story alongside the lyrics.
From the very first track to the last moment, the album builds a dark, unpredictable, and intricate sonic world. There’s a strong mix of electronic, trap, ambient, and even industrial sounds, but they are used in an artistic, not commercial, way. The production goes beyond simple beats and loops, focusing heavily on sound layering, building tension, and creating emotional outbursts, like a film score playing inside Shobee’s mind. It’s filled with static and glitches, vocal cuts, and sudden silences, all carefully crafted to convey the psychological tension, uncertainty, and hesitation the artist is experiencing.
The production is inseparable from the lyrics, they work as a twin. Every sound, every layer, every pitch shift mirrors the mood of the song. When Shobee is introspective, the sound drops, becomes echoey, and synths turn into a fog. When he’s angry, the beat hits hard, distortion increases, and the drums become more aggressive.
This style of production isn’t random; it reflects Shobee’s effort to create his own unique sonic identity, distinct from the typical Moroccan rap sound. You can hear influences from artists like Kanye (Yeezus) and Travis Scott (in the atmosphere), and even FKA Twigs or Arca in the experimentation. However, his sound remains original, especially in how he combines Moroccan language and culture with a mysterious ambiance. This combination shows a clear directorial vision, as if the album were a movie and the production were the sound director.
WATCH Shobee feat. Laylow — Train De Vie | Shobee claims this music video is one of the most expensive ever made in Morocco. The phrase he used around its release, “invest bro invest,” quickly became a popular catchphrase. Uploaded on Aug 5, 2023.
Lyrics: A Newfound Maturity
Howls is a mature piece of art that shows a significant leap in Shobee’s writing. He explores personal and existential topics, steering clear of typical boastful rap. From a linguistic and thematic standpoint, Shobee uses expressive words with multiple layers to convey a cluttered, deep, and honest inner feeling. He talks a lot about personal identity and the internal struggle of a person trying to achieve something in the world.
Themes like ambition, strength, and success are present, but they are approached from a critical, introspective perspective, not a boastful one. On “Crown,” for example, he questions whether the success he seeks is worth all the pain. Will fame truly give him peace of mind? The message here is that success isn’t the ultimate goal, but a means on a path full of contradictions.
In songs like “Break Your Face” and “Wild Beast,” Shobee unleashes his internal anger with a loud, direct, and even violent voice. This isn’t just venting; it’s using anger as an artistic tool to express inner torment. In “Ungrateful,” the title alone hints at the content. Shobee talks about the people who left him, the feeling of betrayal, and his attempts to stay strong despite the bruises. The message holds a bit of a bitter truth: even those close to you can betray you, and you have to learn how to rebuild yourself.
Watch the video version of this review by Zakaria (in Moroccan Arabic) | 14 August 2025
Conclusion: A Cry Made Into an Album
Howls has great power in its artistic experimentation: the lyrics are deep and full of imagery, and the production is bold and emotional without sacrificing quality. However, this dark and experimental nature might make some listeners feel that the album is heavy or hard to get into, especially those who are used to easy, straightforward music. This album isn’t for everyone, and that is both a strength and a weakness.
In the end, Howls is a confession, a scream, and a personal experience that has been turned into sound. Whether you like it or not, it will make you feel something… and that is the true sign of a work of art.
