There’s a Pontiac car parked in my neighborhood in Madinaty (Cairo). I’m fascinated with this car because I grew up in Pontiac, Mi so this car reminds me of home. I have been looking for the owner of this car for years, but the Security guard always tells me that the owner is “travelling” and he doesn’t know when he’s returning. Speaking of security, it’s probably best that I stop expressing any kind of interest because if anything were to happen to this car, I would probably be one of the suspects.
So instead I decided to turn one of the many photo’s into art on an album cover. A Pontiac with and Egyptian license plate looks like a selfie to me.
I used this photo on two different instrumental projects. One called “This is how I represent” and the other “110 Percent Rocketship.” On the latter project, one of the tracks, I titled “Suez Road” because he beat reminds me of Egypt. I spend a lot of time on Suez Road traveling between Nasr City and Madinaty because the “settlement” is located far away in the desert.
I compiled these instrumental projects while I was in Michigan during the summer of 2022.
I ended up traveling to Costa Rica, and while I was there I made more beats and wrote verses to some of these beats. One of the beats I wrote to was “Suez Road.” I titled the lyric version Suez “Rode” because I actually own and record on a Rode mic in my studio.
After leaving Costa Rica, we arrived in Cairo, with Bilqees approaching 9 months pregnancy. After being back in Cairo for a month, the contractions started coming more frequently. This one particular morning, she felt like it was time to go to the hospital because the contractions were 5 mins apart and very powerful. I asked her if she felt comfortable with me going to the Masjid (Mosque) to make the morning prayer, then afterwards we could head to the hospital. She was okay with that, so I walked to the Masjid that is not even 5 minutes away.
I recited Suratul Falaq (The Daybreak) and Suratul Nas (People) in my prayers. On my way home, my oldest son met me halfway and told me that they were waiting for me in a car, so we could go to the hospital. I didn’t go straight to the car because I wanted to grab my MPC first, in case I was in the hospital for a while. When I came back downstairs, I joined them in the Uber and we pulled off. It was pretty intense because the constructions were intense.
The Uber driver didn’t speak any English and my Arabi is “Shwaya Shawya.” The hospital that we were heading to was at least 40 minutes away, so the driver was asking me if we wanted to just go to the Madinaty Medical Center which is not even a two minute walk from my house. The hour was close to i5am and I told him that we should just go to the Hospital in Manial because the doctor and staff will be waiting for us. I told him that there were no doctors “here” and he was trying to tell me that there was. I told him to keep driving. Imagine how intense this ride is, and both of us struggling to communicate these important matters. It’s funny when I think about it now, but it wasn’t, then.
Not even 7 minutes into the trip, I hear her saying, “He’s Coming, He’s Coming!” When I looked back, all I saw was a head peaking out, and next the whole baby just slipped out. This happened in less than a minute. This happened on Suez Road.
Since the baby was finally released from prison, but still on a “tether” we turned around and went back to the Medical Center. As soon as we pulled up, I jumped out and ran to get a wheel chair. They asked to hand over the baby, but I told them that He was still attached to the umbilical cord, that was still attached to the placenta, that was still in there.
Everybody was okay, Al Hamdulillah. The back seat was not okay, but the Ubder driver was really cool about everything.
Fast forward two and a half weeks later, I decided to take a picture holding the baby (his name is Nas) in front of that same Pontiac. Nas can be translated as “People or Mankind or Society” etc. Nas is the last Surah (chapter) of the Qur’an. It’s also a prayer.
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Say, “I seek refuge with the Lord of Mankind
The King of Mankind
The God of Mankind
From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering)
Who whispers in the breasts of mankind
Of Jinn and men”
lyrics
Love it here
Everyday the sun is clear
Summer here
Call of prayer brung us here
Churches crossing up in here
Tourist bringing bucks in here
Customers and Customs here
Arabic on tongues in here
As Salaamu Alaikum here
Ramadan and hunger here
Nubians from Wonder years
Politics and puppets here
Nigerians get money here
Nile river running here
Refugees be running here
Bare feet and Bunions here
stray kittens and puppies here
Traffic always stuffy here
People in the busses here
Motorcycles humming here
Horses on the buggies here
Taxi drivers fuck the meter
Gas tanks, guzzle liters
Satellites look up in here
Jalabiyya’s hung in here
Balcony’s and underwear
Scarf on man and woman here
Henna on some thumbs in here
Some in heads, some in beards
Koshary and Mulokhia
Sipping tea in cups in here
Sugar cane abundant here
Shisha smoking lungs in here
Blades ain’t no guns in here
Uniforms in trucks in here
Bread for every stomach hear
Revolution won in here
Watch what you say in here
Hoop! they don’t play in here
Outta towners outta here
Disappear nobody hear
Spirit air
Making “Mo’ Salah” when I kick it here
American wit privilege here
Yep still a nigga here
credits
from Songs of Songs,
released November 7, 2022
Athan - One Be Lo
pop Rock & Hip hop rap GOOD
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