Egypt's Musicians Syndicate Opens a New Chapter for Rappers

Egypt's Musicians Syndicate presented new regulations for rappers' gigs in the coming period, which embroiled in great controversy.

Rappers are required to head to the Syndicate's headquarters and sign the new rules and conditions to be able to perform gigs.

The decision obliges all vocal performers to be accompanied by a band that consists of a minimum of twelve authorized musicians.

The new rules also stipulate that they should make sure that the lyrics of their songs do not contradict Egyptian values and ethics.

They also have to obtain permission from the Ministry of Culture’s Central Authority for the Censorship of Works of Art.

Suspending permits

The Syndicate's newly-elected President Mostafa Kamel suspended last Friday the rappers' work permits after they did not attend the Syndicate conference and signed the new regulations.

Rappers practice the profession through a temporary work permit – a one-day permit – granted by the Syndicate.

The problem erupted after Kamel watched a video of rapper Afroto performing a concert using backing tracks that violate the Syndicate’s decision and ended with him being fined EGP 100,000.

Meanwhile, Marwan Pablo was fined EGP 50,000 for offending the audience in an incident during his last gig. After failing to synchronize with a band of live musicians, Pablo stopped singing, threw the microphone on the floor, yelled at the band, and left the stage in fury.

The incident caused the performer to trend on social media.

The Musicians' Syndicate, headed by Kamel, held Monday a meeting to discuss the conditions, in the presence of rappers including Abi Youssef and Afroto.

During the meeting, the head of the Syndicate revealed that musicians are required to have a number of musical instruments, including keyboards, drums, guitars, sound effects, Spanish guitars, and foreign musicians.

He added that there is a grace period for rappers to adjust their status from early November to early December to adjust to the situation and form a band.

Afroto and Pablo are two of many rappers, like Wegz, Marwan Moussa, Abi Youssef, Shayn, El-Joker, and others who dominate the rap scene, as well as among the top charts on streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube, Anghami, and iTunes.