As the familiar adage goes, ‘all the world’s a stage’, and for budding style icon and homegrown Moroccan rapping sensation Taha Fahssi AKA ElGrandeToto – being on the international stage of Africa’s largest event – Mawazine, is no small feat. Located in Rabat, the country’s capital, the 8-day long music festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary: it is a cultural treasure to locals and international guests seeking full immersion in the soundscapes of the country.

Held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Mawazine and its ‘Rhythms of the World’ festival has a potent mandate: “It’s a living celebration of diversity, a hymn to human connection, and a space where global hip-hop icons, ancient Arab voices, ancestral African rhythms, and cutting-edge global soundscapes intersect,” per the Maroc Cultures organization. The three pillars they uphold include accessibility (90% of the festival is free to music lovers); diversity (hosting singers from all across the globe that span from South Korea to the United States); and revering local stars (uplifting and mentoring Moroccan talents).

Global sensations that have graced the stage have previously included Elton John, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, and many others. For Fahssi, he is the first ever Moroccan talent to perform on the international one, which is a heartfelt homecoming for him. Historically, local talents like him would perform on one of the other five locally-themed stages, but he was adamant about letting the world know that Moroccan music also belongs alongside the international crowd — adapting a ‘global stage or bust’ attitude. “I think it’s the right moment to introduce the world to Moroccan rap because the beats are real; there’s no lies and there’s no ghostwriters doing our lyrics, it’s rough, raw…and it’s beautiful. The Moroccan accent can be harsh sometimes but to transform that into a good thing —this music —is wonderful,” he explains.

Fahssi has attended Mawazine since he was 9-years-old so for him to be on the same stage as the talents he’s idolized as a child is a surreal moment for him, “honestly, it’s kind of stressing me out a bit… I still cannot process it…no one has done this before. Being a kid from Morocco, born and raised here…and doing Moroccan rap on that stage is…” — he’s at a loss for words as to how significant this is to him. “Honestly, seven years ago, this would have been impossible (to be here in this moment). There was not really an industry here and people mostly stuck to traditional Moroccan music…” That is, until he dropped his EP Illicit in 2018. In foreshadowing the popularity of streaming services like Spotify (which also became available in his country that same year) he encouraged people to listen to him there. “Before, everyone would only go on YouTube. And I was like f*ck that. You gotta go stream...I don’t give a f*ck...call your aunt...friend, cousin, everyone...and go stream that shi*t. And that’s what made my numbers grow super fast,” — so fast that it snowballed into instantaneous success. Today, his accolades include being one of the most listened to artists in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) regions on Spotify with 135 million streams in 178 countries; garnering three Billboard Arabia awards; and getting Gold certified for his album ‘27’ which dropped in 2023.

His charismatic swagger permeates his posh-street style aesthetic, much of which has been sculpted by his musical journey so far, but it always circles back to honoring his cultural roots and familial values. Case-in-point, his twinkly grillz are made by local entrepreneur Morocco Grillz (the first Grillz Maker in Africa and the Arab World); and his hefty blinged-out chains are from Kejsar, crafted in honor of a very special person, “by wearing this, I feel as if I have my son with me on stage,” as he points to his whimsical diamond-encrusted pacifier necklace. Meanwhile, his ruby-kissed locks are inspired by Pink, and he completes his look by donning a graffiti-printed shirt and matching baggy shorts from his brand ‘Salgoat’ — which is a cheeky fusion of slang words: ‘Salgot’ in Arabic means ‘scum/troublemaker’ and ‘GOAT’ in English means ‘Greatest of All Time’.

ElGrandeToto’s sartorial influences are aplenty and there’s ample cross-pollination between his wardrobe selections and the artists/ respective music that inspires him. “Honestly, I’m just being me, I think. It’s a mixture but I drew inspiration from Viva Polska (a Polish music channel). I was watching that sh*t because we didn't have cable like the rich kids to watch MTV,” he explains (although, in an ironic twist — he points out that the Polish station is now owned by the American entertainment group). He also credits Pharrell Williams for his ‘fits’ as well as ASAP Rocky, “when he dropped (his song) ‘Goldie’’, I saw it and I was like ‘yo, that’s a lot of style’. I also look to Kriss Kross, System of a Down, Blink 182, and Slipknot (as sources of inspiration),” he adds. Much like how his style doesn’t have barriers, the music he listens to doesn’t either, “I like all genres and as long as the music is good—I’m cool.”

When it comes to predicting the future of his career, ElGrandeToto makes a bold proclamation, “In 5-10 years time, I want to be the next Arab Jay-Z,” he says with gusto. Undoubtedly, he also wants to return to his motherland of Morocco and perform on-stage at Mawazine, where it all began: “I don’t think they’ve had someone twice but if they changed that and considered me, that would be crazy...I’m not gonna lie,” he adds. Right now, he encourages everyone to support the festival, “all rap music fans worldwide should visit Mawazine next year and witness the evolution of Moroccan music unfold. We’re making history here,” he says.

In the meantime, he’s trying to quell his jitters as the stadium fills-up with people who are generating a haze of raucous excitement — they’re all there in great anticipation to watch him perform, “I feel good; it’s gonna be the best show of my life at Mawazine,” he offers.