Egyptian Lover on “Egypt, Egypt”

For this debut episode of Red Bull Music Academy’s new Key Tracks series the dublab film team connected with West electro legend Egyptian Lover. We visited the 808 controlling wizard at Rusk Sound Studios, where he recorded his 1984 album On the Nile which included the classic “Egypt, Egypt.” Egyptian Lover sketches out the inspiration behind the recording of this monumental jam and even graces us with a grand piano performance before a mind blowing recreation of the tune on his OG Roland TR-808. We were thrilled to once again collaborate with our buddies in forward thinking sound at RBMA. Keep your eyes and ears open for more installments of their Key Tracks series, as they continue to share personal sonic insights from musical legends.
Directed by: Mark “Frosty” McNeill
Filmed by: Alex Pelly & Steven Andrew Garcia
Edited by: Alex Pelly
Sound: Jake Viator
Produced by: dublab for Red Bull Music Academy

[@cdm2065]

An early 80’s classic that helped shape electro music forever.

[@retromaster2000s]

Tons of other good songs too!

[@Moananuiākea]

This is fucking GOLD! long live the 808 king

[@ryanlong8967]

Man I got goose bumps watching this

[@londonroulette]

Damn right, nice one. PS. Love that he’s custom’d his own 80&

[@Dsmpunk59]

The Egyptian Lover was ahead of his time

[@HarryHeath-e6z]

Dudes a real player he pimped that out!!!$$

[@marloncosey8744]

YO EGYPT WAS THAT DUDE!!! I MISS THEM DAYS!!! BAMBAATA PRETTY TONY CYBORTRON KRAFTWERK ALL THEM DUDES MADE TONS OF GOOD DANCE MUSIC THEN... BRING THAT SH@T BACK!!!

[@rodneyjackson3556]

I just bought albums 1984 and 1985. I love this music. I am 57yo and will be rocking these beats forever.

[@TonyGalactic]

I shit you not, I play Egypt, Egypt almost everyday. I love Techno Hip Hop (or whatever the genre is called) and The Egyptian Lover occupies a lane all by himself. Much respect!

[@DSane206]

The fact he unplugged that cable and plugged it back in without getting any noise is crazy!

[@808junebug]

One of the best Westcoast pioneer ever known, and my beat goes BOOM 💥

[@longiscadenotas4890]

One of the founding fathers of West-Coast hip-hop music. Based out of Los Angeles, California. With almost no major radio airplay, his music was popular in High Schools, Colleges etc.. viva "EGYPTIAN LOVER" forever!!

[@rsharrieff]

Yes man, that's true. I was in Alabama in 1985 an we rocked this whole album. Believe me, Huntsville Alabama had zero cool points for hip hop in 85. This was pure high school dub to dub all over the damn country.

[@styleyK]

I still play this in my car on the way to work, and even now it still blows my mind. Timeless! 👊🏿🙏🏿

[@bherrin67]

Fu@king legend right here! What a great time for innovative music, the early 80s.

[@EnochDark]

Slept on LEGENDARY influential and inspiring DJ/MC from the left coast! 🌎

[@alexl4366]

I’ve been listening to Egyptian Lover since the 80s. I was a kid in high school and used to pop and breakdance to this awesome music. I promised myself that one day I would play Egyptian Lover while on a trip to Egypt. I finally traveled to Egypt earlier this month April 2024, and played the song inside the king’s chamber inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. I also played the song while going down the Nile on a cruise ship, between the cities of Luxor and Aswan. I’m sure I will be listening to this immortal song the rest of my life. Lol

[@robm5974]

Decades later, this is still pure fire!

[@Jazzie654]

2024 still here 🙌🏾👍🏾

[@J4CKTR1PP3R]

Saw him at a Rodney O and Joe Cooley concert in Oxnard back in the 80s, He was in the crowd with two Fly Ass ladies and his entourage... Tony Toni Tony and the Deele rounded out the show!

[@diplomatbell]

That’s dope you Saw Rodney O and Joe Cooley but you don’t hear me though!

[@XanderEwald]

Living legend! One of the best to ever use the 808.

[@paulmorphy6187]

I like his track 'girls' especially the version on 'electro 7'...great beats

[@DYNANiK.official]

Bro look like 35y old his whole life long! What a Legend...

[@frame1689]

Because of this man electro and Detroit techno is my first choice for any genre of music. Thanks Egypt L!👍🏽✊🏽👍🏽

[@josephford5783]

Thanks Egypt, hip-hop story's the coolest

[@Noway673]

I can't believe im able to watch the man himself create this electrifying song in the very studio that he produced this in.Im glad he was pointed to the Roland 808's.He made great hits with that beat mechine.Just watching him now using that beat mechine making my head still boping to the beat at 54yrs old.Never gets old.😊

[@r.shelton7793]

Man this is sweet....to hear how all this great music came about..I'm 45 years old today and I'm still rocking to Egyptian Lover 35+ years later...While I'm getting ready for work, driving to work, at work if the customer isn't home.If they are home,I have a bluetooth in my ear. The music gives me energy and great memories of my youth and the 80's.... Thank you E.L. Your music was the $hit,is the $hit and will always be the $hit... Thank you brotha!!🤝🏼 In my will,I want to be buried with an Ipod with music from E.L., Prince , James Brown and Funkadelic/ Parliamenst so I can jam in the next life!!!

[@EasyHeat]

I grew up on this right here! Classic fire!

[@mancavemusician]

Love it, so simple, no VSTs just pure talent to keep it simple and punchy

[@bobfunk5055]

Heard this on Electro 5 when I was 10 still an absolute banger 40 years later! Going to buy this on band camp best $1.29 I’ll ever spend !!!❤❤❤

[@intromix]

True F***ing innovator and pioneer legend!!!

[@синаксисархангел]

The soundtrack to my childhood!

[@GLOCKCOPG23]

The General of the club

[@daleplatino]

It was in the back of my head and I looked it up to hear it and found this. This is pure gold. Thanks.

[@djbiggmike]

Old School forever!

[@brunocpimenta]

Everyone from that era got amazing 808 stories

[@nel600]

This takes me back to my early teens Almost 40 years later I still blast it Egypt-Egypt!

[@roygarza2770]

Thank you sir 🙏

[@savitaraj783]

PRICELESS......saw Egyptian Lover in San Jose, Ca. he was amazing........watching this shows his innovation & skills to be a classic mix master for his own beats.......LOVE

[@BabyCee713]

I was the first cat in jr high with the Egypt Egypt 12”!!! I was hero of the school! I still play it in my DJ sets currently

[@miami8089]

Egyptian Lover and Pretty Tony Butler were the two best electro funk producers during the 80’s. Egypt is still keeping the electro funk alive with some new jams. Pretty Tony has been claiming he’s coming out with new material the last 15 years or so, but hasn’t came out with anything at all.

[@SPAZZOID100]

It started with Baker & Robie in NYC though.

[@miami8089]

@@SPAZZOID100 Absolutely. Arthur Baker and John Robie were a dynamic team. Changed the game completely

[@leandropalmeira3692]

The Legend

[@calwiggins1580]

I’m born in ‘92. My Uncle used to play this but I never knew the name. Finally, I watched some video on Vladtv n I just decided to search it cuz Egyptian Lover is a weird kinda rap name 😂 come to find out it’s the song that used to get on my neeeerves ridin thru Compton. 😂 But I’m a fan now. R.i.p Unc salute to Egyptian Lover. Legends 💯

[@fourhorsemenmechanix757]

Was it the MC Eiht interview?

[@MultiScampi]

Absolute legend, I was blown away when this track came out

[@williampowell3378]

Hot Fire

[@kgthoughts]

This is dope….

[@TrueSkoolMusic]

YES!!! HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE!

[@djflexmk2]

Awesome !!!!! ❤️👍🏻✊🏻🖖🏻

[@geraldfer]

That TR 808 Was and IS a beast!!!

[@paulabutler3506]

Yessssss❤

[@miguelito6915]

Awesome

[@DJFlash]

This is Amazing

[@stickaman]

brings back alot of good memories hearing this....

[@kymrider5193]

a legend

[@SillyReviews]

You know it!

[@cho2jzfe90]

the sound of my childhood!

[@Savagemister]

BEST song for poppin n lockin back in the day

[@YouGotPropofol]

Damn. That entire song off that machine. Wonder who designed that machine.

[@claytonthomas495]

Thank you teacher 🎉 Moore!

[@Martijn1234]

Amazing box of tricks that 808

[@Michigirl417]

My favorite song when I was a teenager in the mid 80's (and it still is), my adult daughter loves it just as much as I do because she grew up with me playing it so much, all of Egyptian Lover's music. He is always on my playlist when I want to dance or need to dance because how can you not dance when you hear any song by him?

[@RC_31]

You are a LEGEND! Ty for those beats,songs and memories!

[@Williamkurk]

The master at work!!!!!

[@UberSynth]

Wow great story

[@RickyD1968]

Brings back some old memories LOL

[@diamondtalk7303]

Omg I love seeing how @Egyptianlover brought this badass beat together!!

[@iamyourfuture808]

gotta love how he pull the plug on the zap 🤩

[@powerface71]

Best breakdancing song ever imo!!

[@the_trooper_72]

I remember hearing this on Electro 5,never heard anything like it before in my life and was instantly hooked!! Xx

[@larrydelgado6908]

The 80s are back new and improved with lots of new music 🎶

[@iwillnever4getu]

wow

[@Noway673]

As a kid in the 80's hearing mixes on the bay area radio station KSOL with dj.Cameron Paul.There would be new electro songs coming out almost every two weeks and they would play a new electro songs by itself first than about a week later they would mix that song with recent other songs that already came out.What got me excited is when Kraftwerk Tour De France was out being mixed.When heared The song for the very first time Called "Egypt" "Egypt" being played by itself as a new song i knew down the road it was gonna be mixed.I remember one day out side.My friends and i had a boom box and laid out the card board and practice our break dancing moves.We had KSOL on and it was time for dj.Cameron Paul to mix records on the turntables and sure enough after 20min into his mix he mixed "Egypt"Egypt" and when the break down came when Egyptian Lover voice said the word break down while the song went into the beat play only and you hear the breathing sounds being mixed and i got excited hearing Kraftwerk Tour De France being mixed with "Egypt" that was the best two record being mixed together.It was awsome.Then two weeks later you hear a single record by the Egyptian Lover "Dial A Freak! Later that was mixed with Electric Kingdom by Twilight 22.So bought Egyptian Lovers albums.That when i was learning to be a young dj.at the time as a kid.Im old now but the songs not old to me.They are just as fresh now in 2024 as it was in the 80's.Loved the era.

[@acdcking1234]

As a 80s hip hop fan and fan of synths in general anything with 808 is my favorite

[@adamnevarez2151]

I have a picture of me and your son in Las Vegas at a shoe store I was wearing all Adidas he was wearing all puma so we took a picture then he told me you were his dad I’m 46 years old and I started breakdancing at five years old and Egyptian lover was one of my Set It Off move songs, much props, and respect keeping it old-school Adam Nevarez from Victorville California love for hip-hop old-school break dancing all the elements

[@paulgreene6899]

This Definitely takes me Back there

[@elrazi9751]

Artiste

[@GLeon-ov9yu]

G from The D - great memories of these beats!!!!

[@chiko32100]

My favourite track from egyptian lover is Dance

[@lionheart4529]

Definitely the 🐐 in my eyes no doubt! West Coast legend!🔥💯

[@raiderscorpio5629]

i use to always catch egypt shows in cali , dude is cool af . signed all my records and cassettes without hesitation.

[@davidgumayagay3549]

gets me groovin every time

[@charliesanchez4009]

Just went to History Class real quick 🔥🔥🔥

[@patrickmcquillan3039]

I have everything he put out he was the best , even his alias Jamie jupiter

[@Deepbluecat]

Egypt, Egypt and Hashim's Al Naafiysh (The Soul) were the SH8 in the clubs. The 808 rules!

[@ernestbautista5497]

My junior high years and on and on . . .starting with my 12" of Dial-A-Freak, then this jam next.

[@bernardlee9643]

Classic dope boy music

[@Katorican]

I smoked a joint with Egyptian lover in the back of the KDAY van back around 83-84

[@mclovin8739]

Currently 1 Roland 808 for sale on eBay, just a mere £6000. It's no longer a drum machine it's just an investment:(

[@joejohnson7090]

My favorite song for years.Tried learning how to pop without success but had a pop name-Pharaoh-because of Egyptian Lover's jam

[@walterpreston9663]

I mix so fast, I snatch so sweet 🎉

[@kennymiller6633]

This is great!

[@Brokout]

Fantastic work

[@ltahoe7195]

Love this guy back in my college days in the 80's. His songs were always played in the clubs. Great memories !!

[@dissident4117]

A true legend. Let‘s forget about the fact that he ripped the beat of Kraftwerk’s Numbers. He applied the Hip Hop principle. Use it and golden it.

[@Auxend]

2:22 and 4:44 are game changers for me _ thanks for being a massive inspiration!

[@pwho405]

Every beat I have every made is somehow because of this beat.

[@AgeofMachines]

This song changed my life and world when I first heard it. 40 years ago... Carried me through many seasons or struggle, work and pain. Thanks Egyptian Lover

[@abeaoctavio390]

Música épica de los 80'😊

[@iamdivine333]

I got Egyptian blood! Fav song in high school!

[@juelz9225]

LEGENDARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@dadude2319]

Dude this is Dope, I can get lost in this sauce

[@haraldbente2101]

Beside Kraftwerk electronic Mindblowing in the early 80s. Loved it playing very loud in my first car and my friends used to listen to Radio mainstream asked: Who's that ?

[@dtllcmotorsportwa]

Knocking on the bowers and wilkins in the Maclaren sitting in the 405 traffic in Bellevue...

[@thenintendogamer9318]

Love this track 1983 lets body pop right now