TIF

Born in 1996 in El Hammamet, a suburb of Algiers, Toufik Bouhraoua performs under the name TIF, creating rap in French and Arabic that blends sung melodies, rap phrasing and references to raï, chaâbi, gnawa and Andalusian music. Active since the 2010s, TIF began with freestyles and online releases before settling in France, first in Lyon then in Paris, where his trajectory took shape. A first turning point came in 2019 with “3iniya”, a track that broadened his audience and laid the foundations for an aesthetic marked by exile, the memory of Algiers and a persistent melancholy in his lyrics. In 2021 TIF co-founded the collective Houma Sweet Houma with Adil and Younès Boucif, and released the EP Houma Sweet Houma in 2022. His debut album 1.6 appeared in 2023, featuring notably “Hinata”, “Amnesia”, “Shadow Boxing” and “S12” with Flenn, and was accompanied the same year by a live session that emphasized the organic dimension of his music. In 2024 TIF also appeared on A COLORS SHOW with “Nothing Personal”, continuing a path situated between francophone rap, Algerian musical heritage and the French scenes.