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Egypt's Rap Roots: Shahyn
Egypt's Rap Roots: Shahyn

CairoScene

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • CairoScene

Egypt's Rap Roots: Shahyn

Egypt's Rap Roots: Shahyn Long before viral hits and streaming platforms, Egyptian rapper Shahyn was making noise throughout the Bluetooth era, trading tracks through hard drives and Facebook links. Active since 2006, when the rap scene in Egypt was still considered subcultural, it's hard to overstate Shahyn's impact on the rap scene - not only as a skilled lyricist, but as a community builder. As a teenager in Alexandria, drawn in by old-school hip-hop influences like Tupac, Shahyn joined Y‑Crew Family (one of the city's foundational rap collectives) alongside the likes of Omar Boflot and Yassin Zahran. The crew's grassroots ethos defined his early years: rough demos, cultural venue gigs, and a lyrical style sharpened by satire, street smarts, and an instinct for storytelling. As the digital landscape evolved, so too did the scene. SoundCloud opened doors, YouTube offered visibility, streaming platforms emerged, and Egyptian rap expanded. Yet through all of these changes, Shahyn remained a constant force in the rap game, growing his loyal following over the years. Today, he holds a rare position in Egypt's rap timeline. He belongs to the generation that built the scene from scratch, but his music still lands with younger audiences navigating a very different landscape. That continuity matters, because while most of today's artists are more visible than ever, many still work within structures Shahyn and his peers helped create. Shahyn's story reminds us that Egypt's rap scene didn't appear fully formed. It was passed through USB ports and hard drives, burned onto discs, and played on Nokia speakers. Egypt's Rap Roots is SceneNoise's new series diving into the evolution of Egypt's most popular alternative music scene, tracing the timeline through the experiences of pioneering artists.

At 23, he quit his accounting job to start an eBay business–today, his company brings in $167 million a year
At 23, he quit his accounting job to start an eBay business–today, his company brings in $167 million a year

CNBC

time25-06-2025

  • Business
  • CNBC

At 23, he quit his accounting job to start an eBay business–today, his company brings in $167 million a year

Right after graduating from university in 2015, Gurmer Chopra, 32, landed his first corporate role at a "Big Four" accounting firm. But after less than a year on the job, he decided to quit. "Four months into it, I [was] like: 'I freaking hate it here.' It was just the most boring work, and I felt like I was making zero difference in the world," Chopra told CNBC Make It. "At one point, I [started studying] for my [certified public accountant exam]... Then I opened the book [and] I remember just reading the first page, and I think that's literally when I realized I cannot do this with my life, or I'm gonna just not be a happy person," said Chopra. At that time, he was also working on an e-commerce business on the side with his older brother Dashmeet Chopra. In their free time, the duo went into Downtown Los Angeles to source items such as T-shirts, jeans and shoes at wholesale prices and resold them on eBay. Their eBay side hustle has since become YoungLA, a lifestyle clothing brand that brought in over $167 million in 2024, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It. Originally from India, Chopra and his family immigrated to the U.S. in 2002 and spent their first four years in New Jersey before landing in California. Chopra said he got his entrepreneurial chops from his dad, who worked at a souvenir shop after moving to the U.S. His dad eventually started a wholesale souvenir business and managed some gift shops in Los Angeles. Chopra and his brother became involved in their dad's business endeavors at a young age. "That was honestly the start of me becoming an entrepreneur with my brother, because ... I was 12 years old, and helping my dad with running this business," said Chopra. After some time running these brick-and-mortar stores, Chopra's dad realized that he had better success by selling their goods online. Inspired by his discovery, the two brothers decided to experiment with e-commerce themselves. In March 2014, Chopra was studying economics and accounting at the University of California, Santa Barbara, when he and his brother first opened their eBay account. "Initially, me and my brother pulled together $5,000 and that's all we've ever invested in the company. And we've always been able to just reinvest," said Chopra. The two used this money to source their first few products. "We were buying jeans, Converse, Vans ... Tupac shirts, Biggie shirts ... We would just buy a lot of stuff from Downtown LA, and kind of just throw a bunch of things on the wall. Whatever listings that would start popping off, we would [put] more time and effort into that," he said. Besides selling on eBay, Chopra and his brother also expanded to Amazon and Shopify, which they decided to name — inspired by a DJ on their local radio station called "Young California." From there, they shifted their focus from only reselling items they bought wholesale to going all-in on the YoungLA brand. Chopra said they began manufacturing their own products and would add the name " to the tags of their items to create brand recognition. The business brought in its first million in revenue in 2017, Chopra said. Ultimately, there were two key successes that catapulted the brand's growth further: "drop culture" and influencer marketing — both of which are still core parts of the business today. Drop culture is a marketing strategy where brands release limited-edition items, or "drops," at specific times, to create exclusivity and buzz on social media. "In 2018 we started ... focusing on our website, and we wanted to kind of create a "drop culture," said Chopra. "So whenever a new product came out, we would like try to hype it up beforehand and then drop it on the website." In 2019, YoungLA signed its first major contract with an influencer, and by 2020, the business had hit over $6 million in revenue, added Chopra. Last year, the business brought in, on average, more than double that amount in monthly revenue. When asked if he is happy that he left his accounting job, Chopra said: "I don't think I could be happier. [I'm] very, very satisfied with where we've been, but it is definitely stressful." "I think a few years into running the business, you realize [that] nobody could have prepared me for this... I think some of the hardest things in the beginning was firing an employee ... or just dealing with really tough situations, dealing with stress, getting sued and things like that too," he said. "You learn so much when you're actually in it ... But I think figuring those things out teaches you so much about the world, but also about yourself."

Lil Wayne new album drops, treating fans to highly anticipated 'Carter VI'
Lil Wayne new album drops, treating fans to highly anticipated 'Carter VI'

USA Today

time06-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • USA Today

Lil Wayne new album drops, treating fans to highly anticipated 'Carter VI'

Hear this story After years of anticipation, "Tha Carter VI" is finally here. The sixth installment in Lil Wayne's signature musical series, which dropped Friday, June 6, is a 19-track opus, flexing the rapper's tongue-twistingly fast rhymes and dirty South style. Blending soulful background vocals with a high-pitched trill, Wayne name-drops everything from Taco Bell to Tupac. His verses are chock-full of vivid imagery and double entendre, and his feature list is a mile long with artists from in and outside the genre, including BigXthaPlug, Jelly Roll, Big Sean, Bono and 2 Chainz. Lil Wayne 2025 tour to kick off same day 'Carter VI' drops: How to get tickets After releasing the original "Carter" album in 2004, Wayne has followed up the project every two to three years since with a new release, with the exception of "Carter V" which was delayed a number of years. Fans have waited almost seven years for "Carter VI." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Wayne will waste no time promoting the album – he is expected to hit the Madison Square Garden stage June 6, his first time ever headlining the historic arena. How to get Lil Wayne tour tickets, presale details In support of his new project, Wayne is headed out on a 34-stop tour, treating fans to a set list that celebrates many of the biggest songs from his two-decade "Carter" album series. Rappers Tyga and Belly Gang Kushington will open for Wayne. Tickets for Lil Wayne's tour stops will go on sale at 10 a.m. ET June 6 through Ticketmaster, following various presale windows that started June 4. Both the artist and VIP presale kicked off June 4 at 10 a.m. ET, while the Live Nation presale began June 5 at the same time.

Tupac Shakur's Influence In Rap, Movies & Hip Hop Culture
Tupac Shakur's Influence In Rap, Movies & Hip Hop Culture

Black America Web

time03-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Black America Web

Tupac Shakur's Influence In Rap, Movies & Hip Hop Culture

Source: Bob Berg / Getty More than 25 years after his death, Tupac Shakur's fingerprints are still all over today's music. Artists like Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and even Drake have openly cited Pac as a major influence, not just musically, but philosophically. Pac's raw, introspective storytelling set a standard for vulnerability, honesty, and social awareness in rap. Kendrick's To Pimp a Butterfly and DAMN. feel like spiritual successors to Pac's Me Against the World and All Eyez on Me , tackling racial injustice, inner conflict, and legacy. J. Cole's emotionally driven lyrics and conscious approach to fame echo Pac's vision of an artist as a voice for the voiceless. Even Drake's blend of emotional introspection and mainstream appeal reflects elements of Pac's multifaceted style. Tupac was one of the first rappers to fully break into Hollywood while maintaining street credibility. Pac's iconic roles in Juice , Poetic Justice , and Above the Rim showed his range as an actor and helped pave the way for artists like Ice Cube ( Friday ), 50 Cent ( Power ), and Donald Glover ( Atlanta ). Today, many rappers pursue acting as a natural extension of their brand, a lane Tupac helped clear. His belief in expressing truth through multiple mediums made him a cultural figure beyond just music—a blueprint for the modern multi-hyphenate entertainer. Source: Mychal Watts / Getty Tupac's impact reaches far beyond the studio and the screen. He became a symbol of resilience, complexity, and rebellion. His 'Thug Life' mantra wasn't about glorifying crime—it was about survival in a system rigged against the poor and oppressed. His fearless approach to speaking truth to power still inspires artists and fans alike. As noted in a New York Times retrospective, Tupac embodied the contradictions of the American dream—hope, anger, ambition, and tragedy. Even on Reddit, fans across generations passionately debate his legacy, proving how deeply he continues to resonate. Whether through lyrics, activism, fashion, or art, Tupac's influence on hip hop is permanent. He helped shape what it means to be an artist with something real to say. How much do you think hip hop would be different without Pac's influence? SEE ALSO Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE

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