Nader Khalil Expands the Soundscape of Resistance in New Album NADER KHALIL 3
November 7th, 2025
NADER KHALIL 3 stacks features from BONES, LMehdi, Nok From the Future, Robel Ketema, and Samah Abdulhamid
Nader Khalil concludes his self-titled album trilogy, showcasing his most uncompromising and refined work to date
NK3 drops with the music video for the playful and unnerving single “VIOLENT”
LISTEN TO NADER ‘KHALIL 3’ NOW
WATCH 'VIOLENT’ MUSIC VIDEO
Nader Khalil 3 (NK3) marks the artist’s most expansive and refined work to date: a trilingual album, that, unlike his previous EPs, is not a solo effort. NK3 features collaborations with underground American rap legend BONES, Syrian vocalist Samah Abdulhamid, Moroccan rapper LMehdi, Ethiopian-American artist Robel Ketema, and even a reunion with his earlier identity, Nok From the Future.
Guided by a musical Occam’s Razor, NK3 embraces sparse yet essential lyrics, allowing the sound—custom Arabic wedding keyboard synths and bold Arabic scales—to communicate nuances often lost in words. Nader meticulously sculpts every syllable and synth flicker, ensuring that the mixing is as integral to his vision as the production and vocals.
The album begins with “Storm Brewing”, capturing a rugged, unmistakably American sound written in an Arabic scale. This unique blend of classic rock influences, reminiscent of legends like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, sets the stage for the diverse yet pointed auditory adventure of NK3
Next is "SemiAutoMad," featuring underground American rap legend BONES. With a smoky atmosphere and deliberate pacing, the song immerses listeners in a lucid haze. Nader's haunting yet laid-back vocals complement BONES' distinctive presence, adding layers of tension and anticipation to the song. Released in October as the album’s second single with an accompanying music video, the track serves as a powerful second single that continues to redefine Nader's sound – Watch / Stream “SemiAutoMad”.
"Haiwanat", featuring Syrian vocalist and songwriter Samah Abdulhamid and Moroccan rapper LMehdi, evokes a purgatory-like mood enhancing the song’s haunting atmosphere. Samah delivers an unsettling and detached certainty, stirring the listener with a cadence rarely heard from female vocalists in contemporary Arabic music. LMehdi follows with a percussive verse in his husky, native Darija dialect.
Blistering 808s and hypnotic arpeggios in “Waddup Hennh” create a high-energy feeling of speeding through traffic. Early in the song is when the listener first hears martyred Palestinian fighter Ibrahim Nabulsi, a motif that is echoed throughout the album. Robel Ketema brings color to the track with his ultra-melodic delivery, creating a catchy melismatic effect.
"Violent" pushes boundaries with its stark, haunting beats and emotionally charged vocals. The track dances on a knife’s edge between fury and euphoria; it is completely at home in clubs in both Berlin and Beirut. The music video captures that same tension with striking simplicity: Nader stands directly in front of a blazing sun, his silhouette swallowed in shadow against the brightness. The contrast mirrors the song’s mood—blinding, sharp, and emotionally raw – Watch / Stream “Violent”.
"Blue Sky," featuring Nader’s former project Nok From the Future, was released in August as the album’s first single and music video. Nok’s signature ethereal vocals float over a cloud rap jerk beat and Sahrawi-rock-inspired guitar, channeling the nostalgic sound of his earlier works in the cloud rap scene. This reunion represents a significant return for Nok, providing a glimpse into Nader's evolution as an artist after nearly nine years since Nok’s last release. Set against the lush New England coastline, the music video captures the dreamy essence of the track, evoking the aesthetic that originally propelled Nok to viral fame – Watch / Stream “Blue Sky”
"Abu Shujaa," delves into new sonic territories with a Shami jerk beat where an Arabic keyboard synth seamlessly plays over syncopated jerk snares. Named after the renowned resistance fighter and martyr from the West Bank, the track and its vocals reinforce a militaristic cadence often found in popular resistance anthems from the Levant while reinforcing themes of courage and tenacity.
The album closes with “Gasping”, a serene conclusion to NK3 that contrasts sharply with the preceding heavy-hitting tracks. With its ambient soundscape and lack of drums, the song invites moments of introspection and reflection, highlighting the emotional sincerity that characterizes Nader's work – Stream NADER KHALIL 3.
Nader Khalil
Nader Khalil (55k monthly listeners) is an Egyptian-Iranian artist whose sound is a tightly constructed blend of custom-built Arabic synths and haunting, husky vocals. He is fully self-reliant: he records his own vocals, produces every track, and handles the mixing and mastering in-house. Hypnotic, propulsive, and unflinchingly direct, his music reflects an uncompromising voice shaped by life across the U.S., the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America. In an era of branding and irony, Nader stands apart, letting the truth cut clean through the noise.
His career began under the alias Nok From the Future, a SoundCloud-era project between 2013 and 2017 that has amassed more than 50 million streams. Nok’s collaborators have included artists such as Dylan Brady (100 Gecs), Kevin Abstract (Brockhampton), Cousin Stizz, and Night Lovell. Though that chapter ended without formal closure, its community still lives on—20k monthly listeners on Spotify and a digital footprint that refuses to fade.
In 2019, Nader re-emerged under his own name, claiming full authorship over his identity with a sound that was sharper, harder, and more urgent. His 2022 debut EP, Nader Khalil 1, introduced a focused chaos: six explosive tracks built on rage-infused beats and untamed vocals. With Nader Khalil 2, he delivered a deeper, more expansive seven-track project that moved with intention and precision. Tracks like War & Peace, Wahda Wahda, Dark Mawwal and No Reason challenged narratives that had long excluded Middle Eastern voices from Western music spaces.
Nader’s visual world mirrors his sound: raw and self-contained. Shot, directed, and edited in-house (usually on an iPhone), his videos capture moments as they are, stripped of pretense or staging.
NADER KHALIL 3
Tracklist (Stream here)
- Storm Brewing
- SemiAutoMad (feat. BONES)
- Haiwanat (feat. LMehdi & Samah Abdulhamid)
- Waddup Hennh (feat. Robel Ketema)
- Violent
- Falahi (feat. Samah Abdulhamid)
- Stitches
- Blue Sky (feat. Nok from the Future)
- Wss Wssa
- Abu Shujaa
- Gasping
Upcoming live dates:
December 6 – Beirut, Lebanon @ Beirut and Beyond International Music Festival
Cover art by Nadia Khalil.
*“Violent” music video shot by Nadia Khalil. Video edited by Nader Khalil.
*“SemiAutoMad” feat. BONES music video shot by Nadia Khalil. Video edited by Nader Khalil. Video conceptual design by Nazila Jamalifard, Nadia Khalil, and Nader Khalil.
Press for Nader Khalil.