[Egyptian Lover ]

Matthew McDaniel

Egyptian Lover is an American musician, vocalist, producer, and DJ who was a major part of the L.A. dance music and rap scene in the early 1980s. Internationally recognized as a pioneer of West Coast Hip Hop, Egyptian Lover popularized electro rap to the masses—influencing many DJs and MCs in his wake since the early ‘80s. The first West Coast rapper/producer to achieve international success, Egyptian Lover paved the way for later West Coast Hip Hop pioneers like Dr.Dre, Eazy-E, Rodney O, Snoop Dogg, and King Tee among others.

Egyptian Lover started out compiling electro mixes—Kraftwerk, Prince, Rick James, Zapp—including his own instrumental beats created on the Roland 808 drum machine. The club-ready cassette tape mixes were selling in the thousands. Often referred to as "The King of 808", the TR-808 drum machine was and is not only Egyptian's instrument of choice but also an extension of his persona. 

With his star status rising higher, Egyptian Lover joined hip-hop crew Uncle Jamm’s Army, moving crowds of 10,000 at the LA Sports Arena. In the mid ‘80s, L.A. was the electro rap capital and Egyptian Lover was at the forefront of this new West Coast sound, not only as a performer, but also as label owner of Egyptian Empire Records. His 12” singles sold in the hundreds of thousands around the world—“Egypt/Egypt,” “Dial-A-Freak,” “Girls,” “Freak-A-Holic.”

Since 1984, Egyptian Lover has remained true to his sound by recording on analog equipment, which creates his signature sound. Egyptian Lover’s influence cannot be overstated – not only did he change the face of West Coast hip hop, but also greatly influenced electronic, techno, R&B and pop music to this day.

The present lot is a black satin tour jacket for Egyptian's One Track Mind (1986) tour, circa 1987. Embroidered with the rap star's stage name, pyramid, and pharaoh imagery in gold thread, this piece is a fantastic representation of the tongue-in-cheek, iconographic symbolism that defined Egyptian's ethos during the earliest days of the rappers career.