Egyptian rap titan Afroto crosses into shaabi with Hamo El Morshedy on “SUPREME,” a high-energy track produced by Coolpix.
Scene Noise calls the record a high-energy shaabi crossover, and that sums up its appeal. Afroto brings his modern rap flow, while Hamo El Morshedy adds the raw street sound of Egyptian shaabi. They wrote and composed the song together, and Afroto’s real name, Mohie Eldin Ahmed, appears in the credits. At two minutes and 21 seconds, it stays short and punchy, and The Basement Records released it.
The pairing makes sense for the moment. Egyptian rap and mahraganat keep borrowing from each other, and this song puts two of those worlds on the same beat. Afroto has built a name through hits like “Las3een” from the “Belad” EP and the large-scale posse record “Rajieen.” Hamo El Morshedy meanwhile has stayed busy this year with songs like “G Class,” “Akhook Gaybha Men El Sefr,” and the album “King Kong.” So the title “SUPREME” fits two artists who each sit at the top of their lane.
Listeners clearly agree. The track has topped Hamo El Morshedy’s list on Shazam, and it shows up in regional new-music playlists. Even for someone who does not speak Arabic, the energy comes through in the drums and the shout-along delivery. It is the kind of record that works at a party or in a car.
For fans of Egyptian street rap with real swagger, this one delivers.
Crown “SUPREME” on your playlist and tell us – who rules the song, Afroto or Hamo El Morshedy?
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