He is considered to be one of the first essential figures of rways (plural of rays), poetry and rebab players in the musical tradition of Shilha people (also known as chleuh).

[2] Lhaj Belaid was born around 1873 in a small village near Ouijjane, but he lived most of his life travelling in the region of Souss.

He continued singing and playing with his rebab until he left for the Sufi town of Tazerwalt to learn more about poetry.

Lhaj Belaid was a prolific poet and singer treating several social, cultural and political topics.

Some of his famous poems and songs are:[4] In the early 1940s, Lhaj Belaid suddenly disappeared from the musical scene and is believed to have died between 1943 and 1948 (most likely 1945) in a small village in the region of Souss.