Felukah is coming live from the future, and she’s bringing you with her. Born Sara El Messiry in Egypt and now based in New York City, the rapper, signer, poet, and Arabfuturist has spent years building a creative universe entirely on her own terms. Rooted in ancient civilisation, radical self-love, and the kind of neo-soul that hits you somewhere deep. She moved to New York in 2017 to study creative writing, and somewhere between the Nile and the city that never sleeps, she found her sound: bilingual, boundary-defying, and fearless.
Now, with her latest single “Rules” out and her debut album “Hibiscus” getting its final touches before a summer release and a tour to match, she’s stepping fully into her power. We sat down with Felukah to talk unlearning, Arabfuturism, spiritual armour, and why the future she’s imagining looks a lot like freedom.
Cosmo ME: What is “Rules” about?
Felukah: “Rules,” honey, is about dancing to the beat of your own drum and dispelling all the myths that people have made about the ways we should live, the way we should act, appear, look – what it means to be wherever you’re from. Like, who decided that? And why are we listening to it still? I say no.
Cosmo ME: What is your favourite line from “Rules”?
Felukah: There’s a lot, there’s a lot (فيه كتير، فيه كتير). I think I really like ‘Run to my future looking better than you ever could’ve.’ Because like, honey, sometimes the haters – you know – they are your motivators. And because of certain hate I’ve received from, literally, within my family or in my close circle, it’s pushed me to realise like, really, all you have is yourself and your art. I’m very grateful for this vessel that I’ve discovered, for my amazing fans and ‘felayek’. I literally live for you guys and I pour everything into my art. So yeah, hater can just watch me thrive if they like.
Also (كمان), another line – ok, two more I guess – that I really like, one is ‘I see the world on my own terms, everything according to my mood (بشوف الدنيا على كيفي، كل حاجة بمزاجيبشوف الدنيا على كيفي، كل حاجة بمزاجي)’ because truly (لأنو فعلاً), you know, the power of the mind is not talked about enough in the entertainment industry, but you know, I’m here to do that. So yeah, I see things as I want to see them. I believe that we all do this consciously or subconsciously. But specifically, right now, in the stage of my life that I’m in (بس بذات، دلوقتي في المرحلة في حياتي اللي أنا فيها), I like to really, really think about the way I’m perceiving things and the way I’m being perceived. Not in a way that I’m overthinking it, but in a way that like, just, life is what you make it, you know? And I think it’s just such a sweet existence and a beautiful planet — with all the terrible things that are going on in the world, of course (طبعاً), I still see the beauty. I try to, no matter what.
And then the last favourite line would be – my auntie, Suni, I love you, if you’re watching this, thank you for giving us that amazing voice note at the end of the song where she literally closes our rules by saying ‘اللي مش عايزني، ما يلزمنيش,’ which is, ‘If you don’t want me, you literally don’t deserve me anyways,’ so ciao. Ciao, bello.
Cosmo ME: What inspired the song?
Felukah: Naturally, just a lot of shifts in my personal life, things that I’ve been going through, awakenings in my mind, body, soul, where I’m like, oh, I literally was internalising a lot of this weird… the rules – you know – the toxic masculinity, the patriarchy. Like, I’m constantly unlearning all of it because I was obviously born into this society, and I hate that we live in a society, bro, but like, what can we do? So yeah, I’m constantly just trying to shift the way that I navigate this world, and now that I’ve got a platform, a voice, and music, I think it’s such an important tool to just be really honest in your art. So I’m telling myself, I’m telling you, I’m telling everybody, please don’t follow the rules. Like, you’re a bad gyal ting, do what you do. That’s really all it is.
Cosmo ME: Give us the tea – tell us why you’re coined the ‘Arabfuturist Songstress!’
Felukah: I don’t remember how that term came about, ‘Arabfuturist Songstress’, but I still love it. I think I definitely operate from a place in the future. I’m an Aquarius, it’s what I do. So, I really like to (بحب أوي، إن أنا ا) connect the past to the future, obviously by knowing that all I really have is the present. And yeah, so, I like to think about ways that I can embody what I think the future looks like, which is, in my opinion, free. It’s loving, it’s loved, it’s cared for, it’s caring, it’s like all these active, present-tense ways of showing up for each other and for ourselves. So yeah, I think that’s maybe where it came from? I’m trying to connect the dots between our ancient civilisation, matriarchal way of being and the future, which I think might end up coming back to that.
Cosmo ME: If “Rules” could be an emoji, what would it be? And why?
Felukah: I think if ‘Rules’ could be an emoji, it would be like the double swords ⚔️⚔️⚔️, as a metaphor. Because you need your spiritual armour, and you need to be able to find the tools in your toolbox that ward off the bad vibes, boo, that make you comfortable and seen in your own home, which is your body. So yeah, I think it’s the swords because also the song is giving katana, the song is giving warrior baddie.
Cosmo ME: What’s next for Felukah? Any hints on any upcoming projects?
Felukah: Yes honey! I’m working on the ‘Hibiscus’ album right now. It’s getting mixed and mastered, so that’s it (خلاص), it should be out soon, end of summer. And I’m about to go on tour with the album. So, I can’t wait to see you guys on the road! And this is just the start, honey. It’s really just the start. You know I’m coming live from the future. So, I’ll see you there. Thank you Cosmo!
Next, find out why your zip code may be affecting your mental health.