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In conversation with Spek—hip-hop artist, cultural bridge-builder, and the founder & CEO of PopArabia and ESMAA.

Spek’s trajectory is anything but ordinary. From rapping with Canada’s Dream Warriors and collaborating with Jamiroquai and Nitin Sawhney, he’s evolved into a music-rights visionary who’s reshaping how Arabic repertoire is represented—and paid for—around the world.

After years on stage and in the studio and a pivotal stint on the music business side in the UK, Spek moved to the UAE to launch the region’s first serious music-publishing footprint and was instrumental in establishing Reservoir's global presence. Today, PopArabia sub-publishes heavyweight catalogs from Sony, Concord, Kobalt, and more, while its joint venture with Reservoir pushes Arabic songwriting onto global playlists. Through ESMAA, Spek and his team are also tackling the Gordian knot of performance, mechanical, and neighboring rights across the Gulf—so regional creators finally see fair royalties.

In this episode we trace Spek’s intriguing journey from Montreal mixtapes to music publishing mastermind, unpack the business model that lets PopArabia champion Arabic culture without sacrificing global ambition, and hear why Southeast Asia—especially India—is next on his roadmap with the launch of PopIndia. 

Join us for a deep dive into PopArabia’s evolution, ESMAA’s mission, and Spek’s vision for the music industry - from MENA to now, the Indian subcontinent.

For more on PopArabia and ESMAA, visit www.poparabia.com. Got questions or feedback? Drop us a line at hello@lextalkmusic.com.

This podcast is purely for informational purposes and should not be construed as legal advice. Kindly consult a legal practitioner for specific advice on legal issues/ disputes.

© Sandhya Surendran, 2025. All rights reserved.