Egypt
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Travis Scott was slated to debut his latest studio album Utopia via a livestream event at the Giza Pyramids in Egypt near the end of the month. However, the event was called off after a music union in the African nation determined that the image Travis Scott presents doesn’t line up with tradition.
As seen in Egypt Today, Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate issued a statement on Tuesday (July 18) by way of Dr. Mohamed Abdullah, which highlights that the union observed imagery they found disturbing in their research of Scott.
From Egypt’s Musicians Syndicate:
Regarding the concert scheduled to be held on 28th July at the Pyramids area in Giza by American rapper Travis Scott, the Musicians Syndicate, as the entity responsible for issuing licenses for music and singing concerts in Egypt, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture represented by the Censorship Authority for Artistic Works and the Ministry of Labor, emphasizes the necessity of considering security aspects and obtaining approvals from the relevant authorities as a top priority when organizing concerts. This is to ensure the safety and protection of the audience.
While the Musicians Syndicate has welcomed various art forms and concerts in recent months, it has set conditions and regulations to safeguard the customs and traditions inherited by the Egyptian people.
As the Musicians Syndicate is part of the fabric of our beloved country, it works towards its stability and security and rejects any tampering with the societal values, customs, and traditions of Egypt and the Arab world. After examining social media opinions and feedback, as well as the news circulating on search engines and social media platforms, which included authenticated images and information about peculiar rituals performed by the star during his performance, contradicting our authentic societal values and traditions, the Syndicate’s president and board of directors have decided to cancel the license issued for hosting this type of concert, which goes against the cultural identity of the Egyptian people.
What isn’t known are what rituals the syndicate observed but there were earlier reports of pushback against hosting Travis Scott at the pyramids due to the Astroworld tragedy.
A scan of Scott’s social media pages does not indicate a response to the move.
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Photo: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty
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Kevin Hart’s successful run on the African continent hit a major snag as he had to cancel his show in Egypt over the uproar of his “Afrocentric” comments on the nation’s history.
According to reports, the cancellation of Hart’s first-ever show slated for February 21st was announced by the local event management R Productions. “It is with a heavy heart that we share with you, due to local logistical issues, the cancellation of our Kevin Hart event scheduled for February 21st, in Cairo,” the statement read. But many observers note that it was the comedian’s alleged comments on the presence of Black people in Egypt’s ancient history which led to a swarm of comments on social media demanding the show’s cancellation.
The comments surfaced online during the month of December. “We must teach our children the true history of Black Africans when they were kings in Egypt and not just the era of slavery that is cemented by education in America,” he was reported to have said in December, adding “Do you remember the time when we were kings?” According to the Middle East-focused news site Al-Monitor, the source for the quotes hasn’t been found.
The reported comments drew huge criticism from people from Egypt and others of Arabic descent who accused Hart of “Blackwashing” their past or having a “BLM” agenda as expressed on R Productions’ Facebook page after the show’s cancellation announcement. Others have criticized Hart for his investment in the Black Sands Entertainment company, which produces comic books and other products including animated shorts with an Afrocentric theme. The situation also prompted racist tweets aimed at Hart, which were responded to in turn by those pointing to research pointing out the diversity found in unearthed mummies from the region.
To this point, Hart has enjoyed great success with comedy shows on his international tour, highlighted by a show in Pretoria, South Africa where he surprised the crowd by bringing out fellow comedian and South African native Trevor Noah. He also enjoyed a sold-out show in Saudi Arabia in recent days.
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