One diss hit a second artist, which reached a third, and kept going. A short history of how the dominoes fell.
Without getting into too many trivial details, one of the two most influential rappers in Egypt had a full beef in 2022, which all started when one rapper dissed another and, in doing so, dissed a third, cascading like dominoes until it reached El-Joker dissing Abyusif in his track El Talta Momken. The track unsurprisingly hit number one on YouTube trending, with over 1.5 million views in just two days, fueled by El-Joker’s popularity as an Egyptian rapper.
For anyone following the rap scene, especially during COVID times, it’s easy to sense the kind of distinctive delivery that El-Joker has mastered. In Ataraxia, Abyusif taps into an emotionally heavy style that reminds me of that period. Ataraxia, as defined by the ancient Pyrrhonists and Epicureans, is freedom from emotional disturbance and anxiety achieved not by confronting external chaos, but by withdrawing from its influence altogether. Abyusif twists this concept in his own way, tapping into the metaphors as he navigates the digital age and the emotional burdens it brings with sophistication.
In a state of serene calm, untroubled by mental or emotional disquiet, the song explores feeling lost, lonely, and weighed down by inner struggles. Abyusif reflects on carrying emotional pain, questioning who he is, and battling the voices in his head. It’s about trying to escape heaviness, missing chances, and living with confusion while still pushing through life’s pressure.
