Dina El-baradie (she/her) is a PhD candidate in modern Middle East history, specializing in social and cultural history with a gender focus on masculinity. Her dissertation research is a history and ethnography of the Egyptian rap scene that examines themes of class identity and the construction and performance of masculinities and femininities in youth culture vis-à-vis the dynamics of cultural production in Egypt. Her research also examines Egypt’s place within global cultural flows and media capitalism, interrogating how notions of authenticity, innovation, and artistic legitimacy are negotiated in the rapidly evolving rap scene. Prior to her PhD, Dina obtained an MA in Near & Middle Eastern Studies from SOAS, University of London. Her earlier research focused on the Egyptian military, particularly though the lens of collective memory, public history, and reception studies. Before her return to academia, she worked as a public sector consultant at PwC Middle East.
My doctoral dissertation examines the history and ethnography of the Egyptian rap scene, tracing its transformation from a late-1990s underground movement to a mainstream cultural force. I analyze how a genre once dismissed as marginal or foreign has become a powerful space for articulating class politics, gender norms, and questions of cultural identity and authenticity.
Two chapters focus on gender. The first explores how female rappers navigate a male-dominated scene shaped by patriarchal norms and double standards. Drawing on oral history interviews, performances, lyrics, and media analysis, I examine how women negotiate visibility, respectability, and credibility while facing harsh criticism from industry peers, rap fans, and the broader public. Some artists defy patriarchal constraints through provocative lyrics and transgressive performances; others employ irony or direct critique to expose regressive gender expectations. These strategies illuminate broader anxieties around women’s self-expression and how respectability politics shape artistic legitimacy.
The second gender-focused chapter examines how Egyptian rap has helped redefine masculinity among youth. This emerging model contrasts sharply with traditional middle-class ideals, privileging a working-class “street” aesthetic expressed through language, style, and demeanor. While characterized by toughness and braggadocio, it also allows for new forms of male vulnerability—focused on economic hardship, mental health, and social marginalization—resonating across class lines amid worsening economic conditions. Music videos often adopt a sha‘bi (working-class) aesthetic, using alleyways and rooftops of rundown buildings as settings that convey authenticity and street credibility.
This evolving masculine ideal has gained unprecedented cultural capital, challenging elite and state control over who represents Egypt’s youth and signaling a profound shift in how gender, class, and authenticity intersect within contemporary Egyptian popular culture.