BIJI (band)

BIJI
OriginStockholm, Sweden
Genres
  • Hip hop
  • Afrobeat
  • Kurdish music
  • Dance
Years active2019–present
Members

BIJI is a Swedish-Kurdish musical duo formed in 2019 by artist, actor, and poet Robin Nazari and director and music producer Maceo Frost.[1] Based in Stockholm, the duo blends Kurdish and Western Asian musical traditions with hip hop, Afrobeat, Latin, and dance music, and has described its work as an effort to reframe global narratives around Kurdish culture and identity.[2][1] The group's 2025 single "Zigidi" won Music Video of the Year at the Swedish Grammis and Best Music Video at the SXSW Film & TV Festival.[3][4]

History

Formation

BIJI was founded in 2019 by Nazari, a Kurdish-Swedish artist who had previously released three solo albums in the Swedish rap scene and appeared as an actor in the Netflix series Snabba Cash, and Frost, a Swedish director and producer born into a family associated with hip hop, skateboarding, and street dance.[1][5] The duo has said the project grew out of a shared sense of responsibility toward Kurdish heritage, referencing historical restrictions on Kurdish language and cultural expression as a motivating factor.[1]

"Zigidi" and international recognition

In May 2022, Nazari and Frost travelled to Kurdistan to shoot "Zigidi," the first BIJI music video filmed in the region.[6] The video combines high-energy action sequences with documentary-style footage, following a fictional mission to deliver a car through the desert.[7] It was produced by BWGTBLD, new—land, Knucklehead, and Diplomats.[4] "Zigidi" won Best Music Video at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival and Music Video of the Year at the 2025 Grammis.[3][4]

Debut album and later work

BIJI released its debut album, BIJI, pt. 1, which the duo has framed as a tribute to Kurdistan and the Kurdish diaspora.[8] As of early 2025, the duo were reported to be working on a second studio album and preparing a BIJI Newroz festival.[9]

"Can Can Can" with Baxtyar Salih

BIJI released the single "Can Can Can" featuring Kurdish singer Baxtyar Salih, with an accompanying music video whose original concept and direction is credited to BIJI (Frost and Nazari).[10] It was released through EMPIRE.[10] The single marks a second collaboration between BIJI and Salih, following his earlier featured vocals on "Chopi" from BIJI, pt. 1.[9][11]

Members

  • Robin Nazari – Kurdish-Swedish artist, actor, and poet; former solo rap artist; known for the role of Ari in Snabba Cash.[1][12]
  • Maceo Frost – Swedish director and music producer, named after James Brown's saxophonist; known for directing music videos, documentaries, and commercials for brands including IKEA, Gant, and H&M.[5]

Musical style

BIJI's music has been characterised as fusing Kurdish and Western Asian instrumentation and vocal traditions with hip hop, Afrobeat, Latin, and dance genres.[2] Coverage of the group has highlighted its use of instruments such as violin, dahol, and zurna alongside contemporary production and synthesisers.[9]

Discography

Albums

Singles

  • "Gold"[1]
  • "Zigidi" (2024)[7]
  • "Chopi" (2024, with Baxtyar Salih)[11]
  • "Can Can Can" (2026, with Baxtyar Salih)[10]

Awards

YearAwardCategoryWorkResult
2025GrammisMusic Video of the Year"Zigidi"Won
2025SXSW Film & TV FestivalBest Music Video"Zigidi"Won

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "BIJI: The duo bringing Kurdish beats and stories to the global stage". Dazed MENA. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 "BIJI". Maxim Gorki Theater. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Maceo Frost – BIJI – Zigidi – Swedish Grammi Winner – Music Video of the Year Award". BWGTBLD. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Maceo Frost – Biji – Zigidi – SXSW Winner". BWGTBLD. 17 April 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Zigidi". new—land. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  6. ↑ "The Radical Joy of BIJI". GQ Middle East. 26 June 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 "BIJI – Zigidi (official video)". Vimeo. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 "BIJI pt.1". BWGTBLD. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "BIJI: The sonic revolution of Kurdish Hip Hop". Dazed MENA. 13 March 2025. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 "BIJI & Baxtyar Salih – CAN CAN CAN (Official Video)". YouTube. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Chopi – BIJI & JUGGLERZ". Shazam. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Robin Nazari". IMDb. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.