Love him or hate him, it doesn’t matter. Despite many rap fans' protests and objections to Marwan Moussa, the rapper stands as one of the most popular on an Egyptian rap scene that one could rightfully argue to be the most active and eclectic in the region.
If there are any doubts about Moussa’s role in the scene, then you needn’t look further than his latest video, ‘Tesla’, which in one night has amassed close to 300,000 views on YouTube. The video is directed by Ali Ali, the globally acclaimed, award-winning Egyptian ad director. Ali Ali’s infamous Panda Cheese adverts are what most will immediately recognise, but the founder of prolific production house, Good People, has also worked for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Diesel, Lavazza and Budweiser.
Subsequently, the video has a very cinematic quality to it, a story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. It’s shot beautifully, in a grimy prison drama kind-of way, showing Moussa being taken to jail.Blonde mop shorn, ‘FUCK OFF’ socks confiscated, Moussa wastes time in his cell as he awaits a death sentence, the track itself offering a trail of thought littered with references in true Marwan Moussa style.
It’s by far the most superior visual that Moussa has put to his music, a fitting piece of storytelling for a rapper who has never shied away from having fun with his career.
