Released in June 2015 on their Shamstep EP, “Intro to Shamstep” by 47SOUL has long stood as a defining anthem for the Jordanian-Palestinian group, laying the foundation for their hybrid electro-dabke sound. In 2025, the EP’s ten-year anniversary is marked by a special re-release on red and black smoke vinyl, featuring all the original tracks plus new remixes by Arab producers including Toumba and Hello Psychaleppo. Egyptian producer Molotof has contributed reframing the opener through his Molowave lens, turning it into a shaabi-charged hip-hop remix wired with acid synths and clipped vocal fragments.

Molotof first began working on the remix in 2021, drawn to the force of the original lyrics and rhythm. His early version placed 47SOUL’s vocals over his own beat patterns, but the project grew further when the band invited him back two years later. At that stage, Molotof added his own vocal delivery, giving the remix the form of a dialogue between Cairo and the El-Sham.

The original lyrics remain central. The refrain “What’s the soul of the 47?” links directly to 1947 and the Nakba, making the number a symbol of dispossession. The English lines place identity with the falaheen (peasants), rejecting landlords, borders, and imposed authority. The Arabic verses widen that picture. “ibn el-‘ain, ibn el-nahr, ibn el-naba‘ wa ibn el-bahr” (son of the spring, the river, the fountain and the sea) links identity to natural life sources, while “ibn el-zenko wa el-zanqa” (son of corrugated metal and the alley) shifts it to working-class neighbourhoods built from makeshift materials. A central passage names resistance in the face of enemies and endurance across borders, closing with “raghm el-7dod 3enda 7elm / el-ghiyab nesta7mlah” (despite the borders we have a dream / we endure the absence). Later lines alternate “ibn” (son) and “bint” (daughter), making the declaration collective, extending across gender while remaining rooted in land and community.

Musically, the remix sets shamstep’s dabke-and-electronic framework against Molowave’s shaabi percussion and synths. What emerges is an interplay: shamstep’s collective chants and driving rhythm carried into Molotof’s street-level sound. A decade after the song first appeared, the remix underlines how different Arab traditions can meet in a single track without losing their edge or identity.

Stream and listen to the official remix of “Intro to Shamstep” HERE