Anees Mokhiber (born July 30, 1992), known mononymously as Anees (stylized in small caps), is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter known for his hit song, "Sun and Moon", becoming the first international artist to top Billboard Philippines Songs chart.
Anees Mokhiber was born on July 30, 1992, in the suburbs of Washington D.C. He was raised and has resided in Northern Virginia. Anees is an Arab American with Lebanese and Palestinian ancestry. Anees studied at George Mason University, majoring in philosophy and sociology in 2014. His courses became pivotal to his growth as a "deep thinker and conscious lyricist." Being a minority, Anees felt accessibility and opportunity in the school, "falling in love with my time on campus, whether it was going to office hours or walking around campus during sunset." He worked as a pizza delivery man to save up for his studies. While attending summer camp, Anees performed bomber freestyling: "You would, on the fly, come up with a four-bar rhyme to go back-and-forth with someone. I always felt very alive doing it."
Anees attained a Juris Doctor degree in 2017 from the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia before deciding to pursue a music career. He entered a state of depression, confiding to freestyling as his therapy. His degree allowed him "to maneuver business dealings and the legal side of the music business without being taken advantage of as an independent artist," attesting how his legal acumen became significant to his growth. His Ford Focus became his personal practice space and recording studio, developing his sounds and styles.