She chose not to sing like the others and not to limit herself to just one genre. Emirati interpreter Almas knows how to address young people of her age, with a lot of humor and a critical spirit. The rapper recently performed in Cairo, during the second edition of the Festival You arts which took place at the old campus of the American University of Cairo. ” I liked the idea of having a female-led event. I have chosen to present the latest songs from my Giza album to the Egyptian public says Almas. Last month, she was appointed program ambassador Equal Arabia of Spotify, with the aim of promoting the works of Arab singers and distributing them all over the world, putting a different artist in the spotlight every month. As a result, Almas’s photo was displayed on a large billboard in the heart of New York’s famous Times Square, with the titles of her hits and the number of fans below.
Inspired by her name, which in Arabic means diamond, she shares her opinion on the potential of women on social media: ” I believe that women are like diamonds, strong, resistant and always brilliant “.
On stage, Almas catches the eye; his voice rings out when he sings the side Classic Arabic, pop or rap. The title song of his album Giza it is in reference to a true story that happened to him during his stay in Cairo a few years ago. ” I was in the Guiza neighborhood with no money. There was a fight on the street, where drug dealers were involved. Quite a tough experience, since I had to deal with them. My mother then insisted that I go home. The song evokes this experience. Often the rap songs, of which I write the lyrics, tell things about my life “, points out. In Giza, at a repetitive pace, Almas talks about traffic jams, drug traffickers, means of transport, the attitude of people on the street… And this, alternating the Egyptian dialect and English. ” Rap allows me to tackle any topic in life. I can also talk about the sandwich I ate for breakfast she laughs.
Almas is therefore adept at revealing his worries and details of daily life. Coffee, Alone, Dirty and other tubes testify to this. ” I think audiences follow my subjects because they look like theirs “. His history with rap started by pure chance, two years ago. Before, he played classic Arabic songs or other more modern pop songs. Then, rap turned his life upside down.” I started my career as a professional singer 7 years ago. I was almost 15. I didn’t listen to rap or electro-popular songs. But with Covid, the isolation and the absence of concerts, I found myself at home doing nothing “, she says. And to continue: On the canvas, there was a challenge that encouraged young artists and rappers to create something from simple elements. I participated in it, writing the lyrics for a song. Later, I started listening to rap, mahraganate and other musical genres. For me it was a wonderful discovery! I really enjoyed park rap, dealing with topics that were far from love stories and complaints. I’ve had enough of this kind of talk. So I started writing lyrics that expressed myself and putting them to music “.
In 2020, he posted on social media Escobarone of the first rap songs about criminals, inspired by the story of Colombian drug trafficker Pablo Escobar.
In his rap hits he relies above all on the alternation between the various Arabic dialects and humor. He also combines rap and rock, using western and eastern instruments. ” I’ve always been a huge rock fan and admired Pink Floyd and Nirvana who have been a great source of inspiration for me. But I never tried to imitate others, I wanted to be myself “.
In 2021 she performed in the theater Al-Manara, in Egypt, side by side with rap and trap stars Wegz and Afroto and already had more than 25 million fans on social media. ” I think there is still room for more female rappers. I am also ready to support them “, He often declares to the press.
From an early age she sang at ceremonies and school parties and prided herself on having a beautiful voice. Her parents encouraged her and continue to support her to produce her albums. ” Without my parents, I wouldn’t have become the singer I am today. My mother encouraged me to sing from an early age. Aware of the gift I had, she pushed me to participate in musical activities at school. I was running away from math and physics classes to go sing or play. Thanks also to my mother I joined the choir, which allowed me to sing in national ceremonies “.
At home he listened to the stars of Arabic classical music, at the same time as those of rock. At first she took up the classic songs of her predecessors, then little by little she managed to create a singing style.
Around 15, she was selected to sing at the Dubai Book Fair. ” It was my first meeting with the public as a professional singer. When I finished singing, I was very moved by the warm applause of the audience. After the party, several people came to take a picture of me “, remember.
He knows song Al-Hob Chou Sawa Bia (what love did to me), produced by an Emirati team, attracted more than 10 million fans in two days. A sign that he was on the right path. ” My mom pushed me to record more songs, tour them, and post them on social media. In the most difficult moments, she wanted me not to stray from the music “.
Her parents helped her find a studio to record her songs and release them as an EP. ” My parents weren’t convinced by rap. But little by little they supported me. It was thanks to my mother that I had the courage and strength to release my first album, combining both rap and pop songs. “Says the Emirati rapper. And to add: The music scene and the big production companies are only interested in stars. We don’t try to support beginners looking to create alternative music “.
After his recent concert in Cairo, Almas plans to work on pop and rap songs which he will release as singles. ” Working on an album is exhaustive. I prefer to dedicate the necessary time and effort to each song, to offer the audience something new. Furthermore, the production of an entire album requires you to find the right producers, lyricists, studios … So many details to manage “, Concludes Almas, promising new titles where musical genres, dialects and languages are mixed. In short, shocking little surprises in his own way.
Court of Pledge:
