Zap Tharwat has made a career out of not playing it safe. The imposing, Jordan-born rhyme-slinger found his voice during the revolution that enveloped Egypt in 2011, when he vocalised the feelings of the masses alongside like-minded outfits Cairokee and Asfalt. While intellectually perceptive and incisive, Tharwat's compositions are speckled with hope. Even on his blockbuster 2018 album El Madina, made with prolific Cairo producer and multi-instrumentalist Hany Sary, there is light within its dark, cobwebby passages. The title track—with its pounding, military-style marching drums—is a defiant declaration against those that have betrayed “the city”. “Fares", which features tearful vocals by renowned Egyptian singer Ahmed Sheiba, is a gut-wrenching tale of how the global migrant crisis has led to broken friendships, and loss. It’s when dealing with such emotionally-charged themes that the rapper hits hardest as he declares, "Friends are the saviours”, and "Pray for those who follow their whims". The evolution of this inspiring people's champion promises a gripping ride ahead.