Part-time rapper, full-time jack-of-all-trades, and all-around creative talent Sef has played to sold-out venues and packed festival fields with his well-received El Salvador and socially critical Ik Zou Voor Veel Kunnen Sterven Maar Niet Voor Een Vlag. In January 2024, he kicked off with an impressive show at De Oosterpoort during Noorderslag. Sef will return to Groningen in the spring and will make his voice heard with a new album, focusing on the emotions felt in today’s society, something much needed in these dark times.

Yousef Gnaoui

In recent years, Sef has grown into a highly respected artist in the Dutch hip-hop scene and beyond. You might know him from hits like De Leven, Tijdmachine, or from the podcast Yous & Yay. In 2006, Sef broke through with Me Nikes, a collaboration with The Opposites, marking his first steps in the then-young Dutch hip-hop scene.

Over time, Sef has proven himself as an artist who cannot be boxed in and draws strength from pushing his musical boundaries. Besides being a rapper, he is a podcast creator, art director, graphic designer, theater maker, and 1/3rd of the punk/rap phenomenon IJSLAND. The rapper has long been concerned with themes such as inequality and various social issues, creating an artistic balance with his sound at the intersection of politics and hip-hop. In 2023, he released his fifth studio album, Ik Zou Voor Veel Kunnen Sterven Maar Niet Voor Een Vlag, for which he won an Edison in the Best Album category, and also made an accompanying film and a theater performance. Just seconds after winning his Edison, he began working on the IJSLAND album with Abel van Gijswijk, a hard-hitting rap record with punk influences and a hefty dose of societal anger.