LUCID is about getting everything you said you wanted — fame, money, reach — and finding out what that costs.
Carving his way out of TikTok, 23-year-old Moroccan rapper Liamsi, whose 2023 single MON LOVE OHO surpassed 5 billion views on the platform, has released his debut LP, LUCID. The album tells the story of an artist who has achieved everything he once dreamed of: fame, money, and global recognition, only to discover that the reality is far colder than the fantasy.
The concept of “lucid” isn’t just about dreaming, but about control: a state where you’re aware you’re dreaming and can manipulate your reality. Liamsi uses this metaphor to explain how he is now in control of his sound and career, while remaining painfully aware of the artificial nature of the industry and the people surrounding it.
Liamsi’s delivery on this project is his most polished yet, having carved out a niche through a distinctive vocal texture that blends Afro-pop with cloud rap. The production, largely helmed by his frequent collaborator KgotBeat, creates a cohesive project that mirrors the sensation of underwater lucid dreaming. High-cut filters on melodies and airy synthesizer pads with no sharp edges make the production feel muffled and heavy, as if it’s coming from another room or submerged underwater across the album’s eight tracks.
Throughout the album, Liamsi’s auto-tuned vocals and flows blur the line between rapping and singing over production that features rolling percussion typical of Afro-pop, but darker and more stripped back. On MILLION MARRA, the sampled production becomes more atmospheric, moody, and introspective, leaning deeper into cloud rap aesthetics.
