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Medina
Alibi (left) and Sam-E (right) in 2022
Background information
Origin	Sweden
Genres	Hip hop
Years active	2003–2018 2021–present
Members	Sam-E (Sami Daniel Rekik) Alibi (Ali Jammali)
Website	www.medinaonline.se

Medina is a Swedish hip hop duo formation with Arabic influences made up of Swedish artists of Tunisian descent, being Sam-E (born Sami Daniel Rekik), a former professional football player in Tunisia and Alibi (born Ali Jammali). Sam-E is also of Finnish descent as his mother is Finnish.

Career

The two started making music in 2003 under the name Medina after they met in Knivsta promoting a special genre they called "Haffla music" with rhythm from the Arab World mixed with hip hop.

Their debut release was mixtape/album Rumble in Fiskayyet and the resulting single "Magdansös". They followed up with a series of albums, Fullblod, 7 dar, Mosh Normal, Hayat and Sista Minuten. Their single "Miss Decibel" from the album Sista Minuten reached number 2 on Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart. They have also released series of 4 mixtapes under the title Varsågod de e gratis and two volumes in the series Haffla Music.

Sami Rekik of the duo took part in Melodifestivalen 2021 in collaboration with WAHL with the song "90-talet". Medina reunited to enter Melodifestivalen 2022 with the song "In i dimman" and qualified for the final from Heat 4; at the final on 12 March 2022, they gained 109 points and finished in 3rd place. They participated in Melodifestivalen 2024 with "Que Sera", finishing second in their heat on 2 March 2024 and qualifying to the final where they came second.

Solo projects

Ali Jammali

Ali Jammali collaborated with G Mansour co-writing 10 of the rappers 16-track album The Cage. He alsor recorded and produced the track alongside Sami Rekik in the Medina Studios.

Sami Rekik

Sam-E has released his own solo releases including the album Om ni ba Wuisste and collaborated with other artists including with OIAM in "Avundsjuka", a charting hit on Sverigetopplistan. He has also collaborated with SödraSidan, Alpis, Petter, Anis Don Demina, Elias Abbas and many others.

In 2021, Sami Rekik under the mononym SAMI took part in Melodifestivalen 2021 with the song "90-talet" alongside member of duo SödraSidan Christopher Wahlberg under the stage name WAHL. The duo performed their song on 13 February 2021 during the second semi-final of the qualification round for Eurovision Song Contest for representing Sweden in Eurovision. WAHL featuring SAMI, the song came 6th of 7 acts during the night failing to qualify to the final or the Second Chance. However their song has charted in Sverigetopplistan, the official Swedish Singles Chart.

Discography

Albums

Mixtapes

• 2004: Rumble in Fiskayyet
• 2004: Varsågod de e gratis Vol 1 (free album online in 2005)
• 2009: Varsågod de e gratis Vol. 2
• 2010: Haffla Music Vol. 1
• 2010: Varsågod de e gratis Vol. 3
• 2011: Varsågod de e gratis Vol. 4
• 2011: Haffla Music Vol. 2
• 2012: Svarta tårar

Singles

Notes

1. "Nema problema" did not enter the Swedish Singellista Chart, but peaked at number one on the Swedish Heatseeker Chart.
2. "Torka dina tårar" did not enter the Swedish Singellista Chart, but peaked at number 18 on the Swedish Heatseeker Chart.
3. "När krutet har lagt sig" did not enter the Swedish Singellista Chart, but peaked at number 18 on the Swedish Heatseeker Chart.
4. "Om igen" did not enter the Swedish Singellista Chart, but peaked at number two on the Swedish Heatseeker Chart.

Discography: Ali Jammali

Albums

as songwriter

• 2010: The Cage (by G Mansour)
  • Ali Jammali co-wrote 10 tracks from the 16-track album
  • All tracks recorded and mixed by Ali Jammali & Sami Rekik at Medina Studios

Mixtapes

Solo as Alibrorsh

• 2010: Parabol Paradis

Discography: Sami Rekik

(using various names, mainly Sam-E, but also the mononym Sami (SAMI))

Albums

• Om ni ba Wuisste

Singles

References

1. Ek, Torbjörn (11 November 2021). "Medina återförenas – i Melodifestivalen". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. Rapbattle med Medina (in Swedish) Yle
3. KingSize magazine: Video – Medina "Där palmerna bor" - Ny singel från duons nysläppta album Hayat (in Swedish)
4. MTV: Medina biography
5. "The 30 artists competing in Sweden's Melodifestivalen 2024". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
6. "90-TALSBINGO: Här är alla 90-talsreferenser i Wahl och Samis låt". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
7. ^ SwedishCharts.com: Medina discography
8. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 12". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
9. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 29". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
10. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 45". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
11. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 25". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
12. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 43". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
13. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 12, 2024". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
14. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 22, 2024". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
15. Discogs: G Mansour - The Cage page
16. SwedishCharts.com: Sam-E discography
17. SwedishCharts.com: Wahl feat. Sami discography
18. "Veckolista Singlar, vecka 25" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 24 June 2021.

External links

• Official website

• Swedish hip-hop groups
• Swedish musical duos
• Swedish-language musical groups
• Hip-hop duos
• Musical groups established in 2003
• Musical groups disestablished in 2018
• Melodifestivalen contestants of 2022
• Melodifestivalen contestants of 2024