Artists and Liars: Creative Responses in Egyptian Politics

Dr. Heather K. BrowneNortheastern University

We are all Khaled Said

Egypt’s First Flash Mob 6/18/10

Police vs. Protestors

The Official, Alternate Reality

The Mysterious Wael Ghonim

Kharabeesh – Poking fun at Mubarak

Hosni & the 40 Thieves

Egypt’s Jon Stewart

Egypt’s Onion: El Koshary Today

Before• Authorities announce

Egypt's first "transparent" elections

• Partly leaders declare that elections will be transparently unfair this time.

• Written by makarona• Thu, 11/18/2010

After• "Invisible hands" strike

again• Initially held responsible for

the January uprising by the former regime, "invisible hands" continue to menace a fragile Egypt.

• Written by makarona• Mon, 10/10/2011

Rebel: U.S. Egyptian Rap CollaborationEgypt is revolting against the birds of darknessThe people want the overthrow of the regimeThey killed us, slaughtered us, put us behind bars, tortured us, robbed us, scared us, terrorized us and ignored usThe Egyptian people won't dieThe people's will shall conquerMy country is your countryMy money is your moneyEnslaving us must endWe heal our painsOur dreams are peaceful and we should call for them out loudWe call for freedom united with the spirit of Abdel Nasser and SaladinWe're revolting Egyptian, and we're sure of itRestrained from expressing our feelings, we're soldiersHow could you, oh Egyptian, stand as a barrier between your Egyptian brother and your rights and his?This is your Egypt and his!

Revolutions of the Arab World

MC Amin -The Situation Must Change

Verse 2:They've spread of sectarian divide, and planted racismExperimental projects to program and erase the Egyptian mentalityThe first phase, is too kill chivalry and manhoodThey've poisoned us, and gagged us, as they thought that would silence us, But they found us, defending, counter attacking, fighting, blocking And building a barrier with faith in front of cannonsTear gas thrown at us and nobody runs awayAnd shotguns surrounding us shooting and we still stand our groundThe hunger is what drives us and tahrir square is our pathYes, I want the rights of my brethren, regardles of my screams and callsYou will never hear me silent even if I was deadMy soul is in the square, giving my people powerYou can bring camels, horses, mules or even 1000 herds, it doesn't even phase meMy rights I have to get myself, I wont leave it And if I become a martyr say

Verse 1:The generation of give a blind eye to evil and serenade it is overOur generation looks for the evil and f---s it upThere's only one solution, with no alternativeWith evidence in my words of mass destructionWe said no to the Field Marshal, and said yes to changeWith only one demand from Tahrir SquareEither get their rights, or die like them, their bloods worthIs not cheap, and either is the tears of their mothersAnd that’s because our brothers are our children, the children of our countryThe revolution continues, without a cease fireWe will leave our houses until our demands are metI ask my people to hold on together, to defeat their trapsFrom the corrupt politician and in the corrupt mediaI give it to you straight forward, quick and too the pointF@#%!!... HE STILL RULES US EVEN AFTER HE GOT "DETHRONED","IMPRISONED", AND "STRIPPED OF POWER", AND I’M THE ONE THAT LOST MY VOICE

Hook:I don’t represent any form of powernor do I have loyalty to anyone in powerIts just an idea that came to my head, that i feel is something importantSo I cant forget my people or even be hard on themit was written for him

Graffiti Warfare: Ganzeer

Removing Walls

The Voice of Freedom: Inspiring MillionsI went down to the streets, vowing not to returnAnd wrote with my blood on every streetOur voices reached those who could not hear themAnd we broke through all barriersOur weapon was our dreamsAnd tomorrow is looking bright as it seemsFor ages we've been waitingSearching for a place for usIn every street in my country The sound of freedom is callingwe held our head up high to the skyAnd hunger didn't matter to us anymoreThe most important thing is our rightsAnd write our history with our bloodIf you were one of usDon’t blather and tell usto leave and abandon our dreamand stop saying the word ‘I’In every street in my country The sound of freedom is calling

Two down and six to go: Mosireen