New Audiobook: Laughter In The Dark

Step into the fascinating world of post-revolutionary Egyptian rap and hip-hop music with Ali’s voice as your guide. “Laughter in the Dark: Egypt to the Tune of Change” is the latest audiobook that Ali had the honor and pleasure of narrating, and what fortuitous luck that it’s a nonfiction title that tackles a subject that Ali has a particular fondness for. Listen to an excerpt here:

In this insightful study, cultural critic Yasmine El Rashidi (Chronicle of a Last Summer) examines the local hip-hop, rap, and trap scene born out of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. She follows several popular young hip-hop artists who continue to push against governmental boundaries and express ongoing revolutionary dissent. In a country where 60% of the population (65 million) is under the age of 29, the Arabic genre of hip-hop known as “mahraganat,” borrowing from American artists like Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Eminem, and Jay-Z, has been thriving. Thanks to the emergence of this new genre, a new flowering of free expression has taken hold, and young people now gather to listen to artists such as 3enba, Marwan Pablo, and Hassan Shakosh in the streets.

Ali wishes to thank the team at Penguin Random House Audio as well as Yasmine El Rashidi for hand-picking him for this audiobook, and for entrusting him with introducing the nuances of this Egyptian music subculture in an authentic manner to new audiences. Listen to the audiobook from your favorite provider or retailer at the link below: