Yalla! Let's Talk.

Etaf left law for music, but choosing a different career was only part of learning to trust themselves. We talk about the pressure of “what will people say?”, and figuring out what you want when everyone else has an opinion. The Kuwaiti artist joins Hani to talk about pursuing what you want when you don’t fit the mould.

Dana Salah, the Palestinian-Jordanian singer-songwriter, is back on Yalla! She joins Hani for a conversation about preserving Palestinian identity through music, why women are so often called “crazy,” and the power of art as a form of protest. They also get into self-doubt, the women who shaped her, family traditions, and why staying connected to your roots matters more than ever.

00:00 Meet Dana Salah
01:08 What People Get Wrong About Dana
02:00 Making Music for Palestine
07:42 Keeping Palestinian Heritage Alive
10:15 Why Are Women Called Crazy?
12:30 Have You Ever Wanted to Give Up?
16:00 Bringing Fallahi Music Into Her Sound
17:54 Grandma, Cooking & Family Traditions
20:30 Zaghroota Meets Shakira
21:00 One Last Thing

What does 15 years of making music teach you about not giving up?

Aziz Maraka gets real about the validation trap, unlearning old patterns, what happens when the creativity disappears, and the advice he wishes more artists heard.

We also get into how he actually writes his songs ...and the life lessons he’s picked up along the way.

A very different side of Aziz. And one of those conversations that sticks with you.

This episode is brought to you with @xpmusicfutures.mdlbeast and was recorded at XP Futures 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro

01:00 What 15 Years as an Artist Taught Aziz Maraka

04:20 What Aziz Had to Unlearn to Become a Better Artist

04:50 The Validation Trap Every Artist Falls Into

06:45 How to Break the Cycles You Inherited

11:40 The Advice Every Songwriter Needs to Hear

13:25 What Aziz Does When He Can’t Write

15:40 How Aziz Maraka Actually Writes His Songs

We spend so much time trying to be enough for everyone else. Maybe quiet confidence starts when you stop.Yalla! Let's Talk, in partnership with XP Air (XP Futures, MDL Beast) , sits down with Moroccan singer Kawtar for a conversation on self-worth, growth, and navigating the music industry without losing yourself.

00:00 Intro

02:10 The Validation Trap

04:07 Growing Up in the Music Industry

07:00 Your Circle Shapes Your Confidence

07:50 When the Noise Gets Too Loud

11:00 Kawtar's Music & The Legacy Kawtar Wants to Leave

14:40 Trust Yourself Before Anyone Else

We're back with more AITA stories. This time with dating advice for situations you probably haven't heard before.

00:00 Intro

03:00 Who Got Outed? Dating Double Standards

14:00 Can You Fall in Love on a Spectrum?

16:00 Limerence Is Actually Wild

23:00 Are Attachment Styles Overrated?

29:00 Why Bad Texters Win

33:40 The Best Relationship Advice You'll Hear

46:40 Reddit AITA Stories

47:00 He Was on the DL

48:47 The Racist Red Flag

58:55 Would You Stay Friends with a Cheater?

Habibi, let's talk.

00:00 Intro

05:00 Who's Most Likely To?

10:38 The Tarboosh Game30:00 Wrong Answers Only

33:20 Reddit's Wildest AITA Stories

The people who judge you often know the least about you. Ghaliaa opens up about being misunderstood, finding her voice, and choosing authenticity over approval.

Why do friendships drift apart? And why do some people stay with us long after they’re gone?

In this episode of Yalla! Let’s Talk, I sat down with Anthony Adonis from Adonis to talk about love, music, friendship, ambition, and the things we feel but never say.

@anthonyfromadonis @adonisband

Does Arabic music need more honest criticism? Danny Hajjar thinks so.

The former Editor-in-Chief of Rolling Stone MENA sits down with Hani Dajani to talk about what the music scene won't say out loud.

Danny has covered Saint Levant, Elyanna, and Tul8te, and interviewed Nancy Ajram. We get into critique, the business behind the hits, and why real feedback is so rare.

This episode is brought in partnership with XP Futures and XP Air.

Most people think speaking like a CEO means sounding confident, but the best communicators today know the right techniques while still sounding authentic. I sat down with Yasir Khan to talk about public speaking and how to communicate like the top 1% of CEOs.