Middle East’s hip hop artists Felukah and The Synaptik release single on acceptance

CAIRO – 15 June 2021: Egyptian hip hop artists Felukah and Palestinian-Jordanian The Synaptik have collaborated to make two singles commissioned by the London based Shubbak Festival, which is dedicated to Arab culture and art, and Arab Marsm, a London-based event producer.

The first single, “Nefsi,” was released on Thursday. The Arabic name means both “myself” and “I wish,” where the theme of the song is wishing to be oneself.

“This project is about polarities, identity and just about being raw, Arab and not ashamed of being yourself. It talks about how we can’t be ourselves in a world that is constantly trying to categorize and classify us” said Felukah in a statement.

Felukah and The Synaptik tackle the Arab identity in unfiltered lyrics and authentic accounts in their two-single series. They touch on misogyny, patriarchy, and personal freedom in an intriguing mix of their styles.

Hosted by Marsm and Shubbak, the two artists will perform in a joint concert at London's jazz cafe in late October.

The two young artists met in Cairo in 2019 for the first time and collaborated digitally for six months, producing their two songs.  

Born and raised in Cairo, Felukah traveled to the U.S. to study in 2017, and has since combined her Egyptian heritage with a New York neo-soul edge, also mixing Arabic and English. Her work has been reported to “bring the Nile to New York.”

The Synaptik is a well-known Palestinian-Jordanian rapper whose work resonates with young Arabs as he raps about migration and social inequality.