Last Friday night, in a nightclub in Maslak, Istanbul hosted a fantastic evening with Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as "Diplo," the producer for big names like Dua Lipa, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott and the founder of the group Major Lazer.
The place had lines forming hours before the event. Diplo had a surprise for those who attended – mixing "Erik Dalı," a traditional folk song, into his dance tracks, providing a wonderful surprise while indicating his readiness for the Turkish audience. I also admired his gesture of bringing his children and family along and making several positive posts about Türkiye, which presents an invaluable opportunity for the younger generation to get to know our country through such endorsements.
On Saturday night, Nov. 25, James Hype, one of the most important and popular DJs recently emerging from the U.K. onto the global stage, was in Istanbul less than 24 hours after the previous event. Almost nominated for a Grammy with his song "Ferrari," Hype toured Istanbul in a Ferrari allocated for him. His girlfriend, Tita Lau, who is also a DJ, accompanied him on this trip.
Similar to Diplo, the British DJ made numerous Istanbul-related posts, surprising his fans by appearing on stage in a Turkish national team jersey and by mixing high-energy songs, he proved that his rise is no coincidence. While this event was happening in Maslak on Saturday night, in another nightclub in Harbiye, Sebjak, the Swedish DJ gaining popularity in our country with his Houseyounite presentation, was behind the decks. Making cover songs in Afro House and House genres, Sebjak, whose music I frequently listen to, shared much about Turkish cuisine and Istanbul on social media.
Despite the cold weather, there were early queues at the door for the night where Turkish electronic music's most significant names, Nodus and Orkun Bozdemir, also left their mark with their music. The generation called "Z" – predominantly listening to electronic music alongside rap – is experiencing a golden age in our country. I think it's excellent for promoting the country, both because of the visits of such significant stars and their expressions of admiration for us.
There's a rap artist who's a hit machine, someone who doesn't repeat himself and constantly renews his work: Blok3. Since his first song, I've been following him and reviewing his tracks numerous times here.
Blok3 has done it again with "Salla Salla," a song with a familiar melody and strong lyrics that have propelled it to locomotive status. In the song, Blok3 also greets his uncle, which I found delightful and it brought a smile to my face. I'm certain he'll release several hits until summer, but I believe this song will have a long-lasting impact. Blok3 is both the lyricist and composer of "Salla Salla." Vienna was chosen as the location for the video, offering visuals of utmost luxury that draw the viewer in.
I won't dwell on the numbers here, but Blok3 has created a piece of work that surpasses his other hits in terms of figures. The rapper hasn't neglected to convey this in the song's lyrics, expressing that he's envied and followed, using polite yet pointed sentences. The song's energetic nature is crucial; I'm sure it will attract a crowd that won't stay still while listening. It had already become a trend as soon as it was released.
I've also seen him perform live in Türkiye. The venue was packed with thousands of people. Finally, I must mention that he's nearing completion of a surprise album for his fans, the release date of which is yet to be announced.
