Egyptian rapper and poet Felukah has carved out a place in Arabic hip-hop through a style that moves easily between Cairo and New York, English and Arabic.

Since her 2019 debut, Citadel, she has built a body of work that blends hip-hop, neo-soul and regional influences, while maintaining her independence in an industry dominated by major labels.

In this episode of Tarab, host Saeed Saeed speaks with Felukah about her path from Cairo to New York, code-switching in her lyrics, and what it meant to perform at the Recording Academy’s showcase in New York as part of the Mena chapter’s launch.

Tarab is a weekly podcast taking listeners inside the Middle East’s music scene through conversations with its artists. New episodes drop every Tuesday on all podcast platforms.