There will always be a new generation of musicians surfacing at any one point in music scenes anywhere in the world. The rate of this phenomenon seems to particularly rapid when it comes to the Egyptian rap scene. With an astounding number of up-and-comers on the rise, this tends to be a double edged sword as the scene inevitably grows and evolves, but also many artists never get their chance to shine - and, for some, their first release may very well be their last.
1. Omar JX (Cairo, 19)
Omar dropped his first track four, five months ago with a producer by the name of Batistuta called “Zai Mana”. The track featured a fresh new sound which was especially impressive given that he managed introduce something new on his debut. Omar’s uniqueness shined through even further with collaboration with industry heavyweight NEON on the production of his latest track “2NSAN 2ALY”.
2. KEO (Cairo, 18)
KEO has been in the game for 5 months now since his debut track with HVRPY. While his debut wasn’t particularly catchy and didn’t show many signs of something special in the making, his following track, also in collaboration with HVRPY which happened to be diss towards rapper Dawsha, began shaping his rap persona, which broke through even more on his latest track MVP produced by Kingoo Beats.
3. SVGX (Cairo, 16)
Pronounced “Savage X”, SVGXis a rapper and producer who released his first track in August. Producing for himself, he manages to create a distinctly dark, mysterious atmosphere that is undeniably attention grabbing, prompting the audience to keep listening over and over.
4. Sweeket (Asyut, 21)
Cairo, Alexandria and the Suez Canal Region's stronghold on the rap scene doesn’t necessarily mean that other regions of the country lack talent in any way shape of form. In fact, there's very solid rap movement on the rise in upper Egypt, mainly in Sohag, Minya and Aswan. Asyut native Sweeket, who also collaborates with another local producer by the name of HAZARDV is proof that Asyut has a burgeoning rap scene that everyone should keep an eye out for.
5. DODZY (Suez, 20)
A member of MADO $AM’s 6ixn9ne crew, DODZY isn’t a fresh rapper in the sense that he made his rap debut recently. But rather fresh given all his previous releases were an attempt to find a sound that truly represents him - which he continues to do so with aplomb.
6. Benwaa (Mansoura, 18)
From the city that gave us MC Amin, Mohamed Osama and SLYVER PV, comes Benwaa. Starting out at 16 with a vision to achieve a certain sound. This vision is to incorporate singing into his tracks, giving them appeal that draws in more than rap purists.
7. ETCHANES (Cairo, 16)
Starting out under the alias MC Hashim in 2017, Etchanes’ style is still working its way to artistic maturity, but the 16 year-old shows tremendous promise in his willingness to tweak and adjust his approach throughout the 12 releases to his name so far.
8. WVM (Cairo, 18)
WVM’s first work leaned more towards a Drake-like, r&b-heavy sound, as heard in tracks like “Mesh Ayezha”. However, he has begun to find a more original and definitely more lyrical approach, with tracks like “Brutus”.
9. VBRHMVN HVRBY (Cairo, 17)
VBRHMVN HVRBY part of THESHOTTAS hip hop movement that includes new rappers on our list like KEO. The concept of hip hop movements might’ve died off elsewhere in the world, but still flourishes here in Egypt's still developing scene. These collectives and groups are all about providing support to its members. HVRBY’s distinctive voice and projection have helped him create a unique brand of rap that stands out midst all the rest.
10. Arsenik (Asyut, 18)
Another Asyut native trying to put his hometown’s hip hop scene on the map at any cost, according to his own lyrics. Willing to overcome any obstacles be it logistical, financial or adversarial, Arsenik is definitely on the path to rap greatness.
