Image by jeroen020
There is no better introduction to The Egyptian Lover than his music. We’ll start with a clip from the song titled “$”:
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In case you do not trust your ears, yes, the chorus is:
If I gave you all my money
What would you do with so much cash?
The Egyptian Lover is Greg Broussard, a 40-something producer of electro music based in L.A. He had some popularity in the 80s thanks to breakdance-friendly tracks like “Egypt, Egypt”. Recurring themes in E.L.’s work are women getting freaky, braggadocio about beat quality, and of course Egypt. Having seen him perform live (he still tours), I can tell you that he is completely earnest in all that he does. He is also not lacking in self-esteem. From a 2006 interview:
Q: This is your third LP. Do you think the West Coast sound differs from the East?
A: When I started making records, there were no West Coast rappers, so to me, there is no West Coast sound. As far as fast up-tempo stuff … It’s an EGYPTIAN LOVER SOUND. So the West Coast rapper that does a fast up-tempo … got it from me.
The Egyptian Lover’s oeuvre is large, and it will take time to reach a full appreciation of his artistry. But for now, I will leave you with a prime example of The E’s freestyling skills, also from “$”:
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