Introducing Rising Sudanese-Canadian Rapper Mouraine and His “Bigger Dreams”

One of Canada’s most promising upcoming artists is Sudanese-Canadian rapper Mouraine, an Edmonton Music Awards nominee and Telus Storyhive grant recipient.

Migrating from Sudan at an early age, Mouraine’s love for his craft, skill and relatable lyrics helped him win over the respect of his peers and fans alike. Along with his energetic performances and commanding stage presence, he is one of the most sought after performers, sharing the stage with major A-list artists such as J. Cole, Akon, Pusha T, Mac Miller, T-Pain, Big Sean and Tyga.

In 2019, he began releasing a series of his infamous mixtapes, “Cold Mornings”. The mixtapes went on to secure him sets at various international festivals and conferences such as Red Bull’s Red Monday, Halifax Pop Explosion, Sled Island, Western Canada’s Fashion Week, New Skool Rules, Up+Downtown Festival, Cariwest Festival, FOCUS Wales, K Days Festival, and 10×10 Calgary.

Mouraine premiered his new single “Poppin” from his second mixtape “Cold Mornings 2” via Noisey and Vice. The song generated label attention and secured him placement and features on blogs such as Hip Hop Dx, Noisey, Vice, Hip Hop Canada, Hot 97, Canadian Dope, Young Street Protege and more. In April 2019, Mouraine released a song titled “Bigger Dreams” that gained support from multiple Spotify playlists such as Fresh Finds and Shisha Lounge, boosting Mouraine to more than 20,000 monthly listeners.

Rapping about party anthems to the challenges of a first generation Canadian to clever braggadocio, Mouraine is a student of rap’s new golden era, often fusing his super-catchy choruses with melodies and lyrical offerings.

Mouraine is set to release a new EP, “Bigger Dreams”, on 15 December, 2019, blending the high-energy pop of current hip-hop stalwarts, while hitting hard with quick-spit wit reminiscent stories of a first generation Canadian immigrant. The collection of five new tracks consist of bold, clever and rapidly-maturing lyrics, prominently announcing the arrival of a new student to the game who’s not content to work within the current confines of that game. “Bigger Dreams” will be available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play and more.

Mouraine is managed by The 25th Dynasty, a management company in Canada, established by Mouraine himself.

Mouraine, what’s behind the stage name?

Honestly, the name is random. I used to go by Yung Muta when I was younger. But when I realised I needed to rebrand myself, I started to look for something that represents who I really am and my background so in my long Sudani list of last name, one of them was Al Merain. I’m not sure if I’m related to the Awlad Al Merain, the shawayga singers, or not though. 

What inspired you to become to rapper? And when did you realise you want to become a rapper professionally?

When I was younger, I would always have much music on the house TV. I’d see how 50 Cent and these artist would move crowds and I always wanted to have that control and spread positive messages through it.

How has it become a reality?

When I focused on my craft and started taking it seriously, I started to see progress and results from the hard work I put in behind the scenes. I am now able to put music out and there are people paying attention to the messages and what I’m trying to say. When I go and perform to a crowd of 20,000 is when I realised that music was no longer my dreams but my reality. 

Tell us more about The 25th Dynasty and the artists it represents.

When I was younger, I was very disconnected from Sudan. So I started doing my research about my homeland and through that I found out about the kingdom of Kush. The 25th Dynasty was the kingdom to rule all of Egypt and Nubia for centuries and they were from meroe which is where I’m from. So I’d decided to adopt that name to continue on the legacy for my ancestors. So now, The 25th Dynasty plans to re-rule the world, starting with music. It is something I plan on turning into a music label eventually but it’s too early on my career to think about that yet. But, it will be a way that I can help and give back to my people. 

Tell us about your latest project, “Bigger Dreams”, and what inspired it.

“Bigger Dreams” was inspired by one song that I released earlier this year. The concept of having a bigger dream is too simple yet complex. If we always stay in our comfort zone and not follow our dreams, then I believe we did not truly live. So this EP displays my “Bigger Dreams” that are now becoming a reality. And I will continue to dream and encourage people to always dream bigger.

‘If we always stay in our comfort zone and not follow our dreams, then I believe we did not truly live’

Tell us about your songwriting process and what messages you’d like to deliver through your music.

Most of my songwriting process starts off with the beats. And I try to tackle down a medley or chorus that will catch the listeners. The chorus makes the song and it’s the most memorable.

How does being Sudanese-Canadian play a role in your songwriting?

In my songwriting, I always try to stay true to who I am as a person. I always tie my Sudanese origins somehow because that’s just who I am. Sometimes, without even thinking about it, it will subconsciously appear because my lyrics are my day-to-day life and my life experiences I can’t run away from it and will always take pride in that.  

‘My lyrics are my day-to-day life and my life experiences I can’t run away from it and will always take pride in that’

You’ve performed on several stages even sharing the stage of J. Cole, Mac Miller, Big Sean, Tyga, T-Pain and more. How have these experiences impacted your craft and career?

Having the opportunity to perform with big acts such as J. Cole and Mac Miller really opened my eyes to the fact that nothing is impossible. It helped me develop the confidence to step on these huge venues and stages, and perform in front of thousands of people with no doubts in sight.

Is performing in Sudan in your future plans?

If I get the opportunity I will definitely perform in Sudan. I’m not sure when that will be but no matter how big of an artist I become, I will always try to connect with my roots as much as possible and show these upcoming creatives that I’m just a kid born in Omdurman and made it this far so can you.

‘I will always try to connect with my roots as much as possible and show these upcoming creatives that I’m just a kid born in Omdurman and made it this far so can you’

In 2020, Mouraine will release music videos of his singles from Bigger Dreams and will set on a tour in North America and Europe.

Find out more about Mouraine on social media: Facebook: Mouraine @mutaxxv, Instagram: @mouraine_, Twitter: @mouraine_, YouTube: The 25th Dynasty.