Multi-faceted doesn’t even come close to describing Nada Nader. A singer, rapper, dancer, actor, choreographer, coach and director…her fiercely creative portfolio pushes the boundaries of the modern versatile artist, and then some. Based in Cairo, Nada has become one to watch, both for her music and her self-directed music videos.
As a rapper, her bold lyricism remains unrivaled. Armed with sharp satire and witt, her music has gained the attention of large-scale players in the music industry world-over. You might have found her in some major playlists like Spotify’s New Music Friday Egypt, and YouTube Music’s Fresh Arabic Rap. Now on the brink of her EP release, get ready to hear her everywhere. Nada is gearing up to become a household name in Arabic rap music, and we’re tuning in.
Our exclusive interview with Egyptian rapper Nada Nader
Cosmo ME: Congratulations on your EP, “Ezayoko”. How excited have you been for people to hear it?
Nada: I’ve been working on it for almost a year now, and I’m most excited for the feedback on the music and also the music videos, especially the focus track of the EP which is called “Tabanga”.
Cosmo ME: What inspires you to create music, particularly any inspirations that have aided you through the creation of your new EP?
Nada: What inspired me to create this EP is basically what I’ve been facing and dealing with in the music scene since I started. There have been a lot of things I really wanted to say to many people, so I’ve chosen to be extremely sarcastic about it and write it down as lyrics!
Cosmo ME: What is your earliest memory of music?
Nada: Music has always been a main factor in my house and family. My mother studied music and used to sing and play a lot of instruments in the house. Since I was a kid I used to hear her doing this almost daily and also she used to put the radio on Arabic and foreign classical music all the time. I also joined the school’s choir in primary school and used to sing at all of the school’s events.
Cosmo ME: What artists are your particular favourites currently? Are there any you would love to collaborate with?
Nada: I would love to collaborate with Marwan Pablo, Marwan Moussa, El Waili, and Muhab.
Cosmo ME: How do you maintain a strong work ethic during the process of making an EP?
Nada: Consistency and good planning are the main keys to achieve any goal, so basically I like to stick to any plan where I can give it my all in terms of time, focus and effort until I get it out of the way. I like to be really organized but I’m also able to multitask – almost – most of the time!
Cosmo ME: You have been featured previously on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist. How did it feel to be recognised by Spotify?
Nada: It felt amazing and really motivating.
Cosmo ME: What is your favourite part of the creative process?
Nada: For the music video, I loved working on the visuals as a creative director (from the concept and idea itself, to curating the shooting list for each part of the song).
Cosmo ME: Do you have any major goals you aim for within your career?
Nada: To be a global artist.
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