Islam Said, referred to as Islam Chipsy, is a member of Egyptian electronic music group EEK, whose style incorporates elements of traditional Arabic wedding and electronic instruments. Their style is seen as part of a new wave of Shaabi music, referred to as Electro Shaabi or Mahraganat.
Career
Said plays the keyboard alongside two other band members, both drummers. They are collectively styled as "Islam Chipsy" and "EEK". Said has been referred to as a "preternaturally talented keyboard player", with a unique style consisting of blasts of tone clusters deployed by alternately punching, slapping and karate-chopping his keyboard.
Personal life
Said adopted the stage nameChipsy when another keyboardist with the same name began to take credit for his tracks. Supposedly, since Said was frequently seen eating Chipsy, people started to refer to him by the name, and it stuck. He has become more prominent in Western media along with other Electro Chaabi artists such as Sadat, Figo and Alaa Fifty Cent, all coming from 100COPIES label in Cairo, where Said signed an open contract in 2014. Said does not want to be associated with the Mahraganat movement, as it is very much based on MCs, and his genre is generally instrumental. His success has been propelled by the development of the Shabbi selection and deviates from its main patterns. In Western countries, he has been aided by the spread and circulation of Middle Eastern music online. Said collaborates with Dubstep producers from the United Kingdom, such as Faze Miyake, Kode 9, Pinch, Mumdance and Artwork, as part of working with the British Council.
Homophobia
In a Facebook post, Chipsy wrote: "To anyone here who supports homosexuals or atheists and says that this is a personal freedom or it's wrong to be unjust to them, delete yourself from my account. Atheism is heresy and homosexuals and unnatural sexuality are from the major sins. I have nothing else to say. If you see my words as being bigoted or idiotic then go to hell." The post was made in reference to Sarah Hegazi, days after she took her own life after being arrested, tortured, and sexually assaulted for her sexuality. Chipsy later deleted the post, a move that was understood by some of his followers to have been made out of the fear that it would have a negative effect on his career in Europe. The Boiler Room permanently removed Chipsy's performance from their archive, stating that they absolutely condemn his "disgusting remarks" and "remain zero tolerance on hate speech and bigotry in all guises".
