By Lily Grimes Earning something you desire increases its value, and so it was with Voice of the Streets, a free event showcasing rappers from Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. A motley crew of about 80 people huddled outside the gates to the Gezira Youth Center in Zamalek last Friday waiting to be let …

By Maurice Chammah On Saturday at El Sawy Culture Wheel in Zamalek, a crowd of several hundred fans gathered to watch eight hours of continuous hip-hop. The festival, called “Hip-Hop Non-Stop 2501,” featured a diverse set of acts ranging from the obscure to the more well-known. Flashing lights and fake smoke enveloped the stage as one …

By Sarah El Sirgany Three men spell out a curse word in Arabic. The three letters rhyme with the rest of their sharp and furious rap. But these seem to be the exact reasons why they are ruled out by a government employee from participating in a public concert. Saleh (Mohamed Saleh), who heads a government …