Egypt's rap songs have maintained their positions on Spotify's viral charts for an average of 129 days since the beginning of 2022.
Spotify has introduced a new visual aesthetic and voice to its Egyptian rap playlist, Melouk El Scene, to celebrate the growing popularity of the rap scene in the region.
Since 2019, Melouk El Scene has become the most popular rap playlist on Spotify in Egypt, with a 620% increase in its streams since its launch. The rap scene in Egypt has been gaining popularity over the past few years with stars like Wegz, Marwan Moussa, Afroto, Marwan Pablo and Abyusif garnering a large fan base in the Arab world.
Rap has morphed from an underground scene to a movement that now represents the sound of the youth – a more free-form format that allows rappers to express themselves. The evolution of the genre is evident on Spotify, where Wegz, Moussa, Pablo, and Afroto regularly appear on Spotify’s viral charts, a representation of what listeners from the country are listening to. Since the start of 2022, Egyptian rap songs have, on average, maintained their spots on Spotify’s viral charts for 129 days.
Speaking about the genre’s rapid growth, Egyptian rap star Marwan Moussa said: “I am still blown away at how far it has come in the last three years. I am so happy to be part of this success, and I truly believe the best is yet to come.”
Afroto, whose song, Msh Bel 7ozoz, was the most-streamed song on Spotify in the summer of 2021, added: “I can’t believe that in a few years, they’ll say that our generation changed rap forever and brought it to the top. Not only that, but my name will also be on the forefront.”
With its new look, Melouk El Scene pays tribute to the prominence and influence of Egyptian rap in today’s youth culture and brings a visual experience that speaks the language of both rappers and their fans. The rebrand incorporates street art elements to reflect Egyptian rap’s bold spirit with self-expression as its core.
Melouk El Scene’s relaunch will also include a series of satirical videos featuring Afroto and Marwan Moussa in partnership with Egypt’s Nesr El Scene – a mini-mockumentary produced by Schema Studios that went viral with its subtle sense of humour and ironic take on Egyptian rap. The videos feature Timo, a Nesr El Scene’s entourage member who claims to be a hip-hop translator and connected to today’s top rappers.
Additionally, for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa, Spotify will be introducing Spotify Clips to the Melouk El Scene playlist. With this new feature, fans can watch exclusive and inspiring stories from their favourite rappers in the form of videos while streaming Melouk El Scene.
Wissam Khodur, Artist and Label Partnerships at Spotify for MENA, stated: “Rap is more than a genre; it is a culture, a movement. Seeing how loyal and dedicated our fans are to rap on our platform drives us to keep creating more opportunities for them to connect with their favourite artists. Introducing new features such as Spotify Clips, a rebrand for Melouk El Scene, along with a whole campaign dedicated to the Egyptian rap community shows how committed we are to growing young talents from Egypt, while leveraging our innovative capabilities to give rap fans the best listening experience on Spotify.”
