High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Rachid Baba Ahmed was an Algerian musical producer involved in a regional genre called raï. He was credited with the international popularization of the genre in 1976 through the new pop raï with a delicate and sophisticated blend of electronic instrumentation. He was also credited with the development of pop raï during the 1970s and 1980s, the performers of which are called cheb or chaba. He was murdered by Islamic fundamentalists on February 15, 1995, which participated toward the hate of Islamists by the Algerian people. Rachid Baba, the producer of the album Rai Rebels and many other acclaimed titles released in the United States and elsewhere, explained without a hint of irony that, In the beginning, I let [a] cheb sing the words as he wanted. Now I pay attention. When he sings a vulgarity, I say stop. If he doesn't obey, I cut it during the mixing.