From a young age, rapper, singer and songwriter Leil found escape in music. Whether she was singing or playing guitar, or deeply listening, music provided her with solace from a tumultuous home life—and a way towards a brighter future in which she’s taken inspiration from her past, turning her most intimate stories into songs of healing to share with the world. Following a slew of singles since 2020, Leil’s full-length debut The Birth is a statement of female empowerment, shuffling the sounds of dancehall, reggaetón and Afrobeats with lyrics in Arabic, French and Spanish. Her sombre, bass-driven bops also draw on house, electro and Middle Eastern percussion. Not only symbolic of her passage into a new stage in life, the record’s title nods to her then pending motherhood: She worked on the record with her husband, who serves as executive producer, while pregnant with their daughter—a “magical experience”, according to the artist. Leil tells Apple Music that she got into hip-hop thanks to the boundless lyrical freedom it provides. But she finds an equally potent mode of expression in singing, employing her magnetic, elastic vocals to full effect. Considering herself very emotional and “full with a lot” as a woman, she says she tries to be honest with her feelings, which is how her early experiences wove their way into the record. “I haven’t lived a typical, normal life,” she says. “I saw a lot of abuse…when young but, surprisingly, that life was always full of music and I was in the middle of it. Truly, music is an escape.” That emotion-first approach also best describes Leil’s creative process, which all depends on the feelings a beat awakens, which in turn influence her vision. “I would say, first, I envision a scenery that is based on my feelings and then I go word by word until I have a complete song,” she says. “That means a lot of scratching and rewriting and word-searching. It’s a process where I unload and load, and each song is different. Sometimes I write before hearing the music. It depends on the day.” Beyond the difficulties of her own upbringing, challenges generally abound for Arab female artists like Leil—which is why support from fellow women musicians is much needed. “If us women don’t stand for each other, no one will,” Leil says. “And, sadly, we have a very competitive industry that turns us against each other and some of the biggest female artists don’t support other female artists. I hate it. I am all for love! Each of us is unique in our own way. More handshakes, more wins for all.” Instead, she’s eager to highlight the women who inspire her: “Nathy Peluso, Sherine, Rahma Riad and Naomi Sharon are very unique.” She’d also love to work with the likes of Moscow, who “makes the sickest rap flows…very diverse”, as well as Lella Fadda: “I think she is very talented and innovative. I love her vibe.” While Leil says living her dream as a musician is her biggest ambition and what keeps her motivated, it’s not without its dark moments—in particular online bullying, which she believes is much harder for female artists. “People hate what they don’t understand," she says. “But us women in this industry are strong and capable. I love us.” Moreover, she doesn’t let such adversity dissuade her from sharing from the heart, as affecting personal moments unfold throughout The Birth. “‘Y’a tout’ literally describes what my mum lived with with my then newborn sister. All the abuse, an uncaring husband who is always under the influence and nowhere to be found, the unsupportive family—I’d rather say non-existing—all of it is there.” But there’s light at the end of the tunnel, too. “I had to let go and heal with ‘Beniya’,” she says about the emotion-laden track driven by a sinuous guitar riff. “I am ‘Beniya’ and my daughter is ‘Beniya’. Saviour, provider, dreamer, strong and a go-getter.” Asked for what word best describes her, Leil adds to that list “audacious”—which these songs prove without doubt. Rising above hate, she chooses to spread good vibes instead, wishing that listeners are able “to heal, to love, to embrace their feelings” through the music. This is The Birth of something truly different.