By: Todd “DG” Davis
Rapindustry.com

From the streets of L.A. to the heights of hip-hop fame, Egyptian Lover has been a trailblazer; blending futuristic beats with classic West Coast flair. As one of the first to bring electronic sounds into the game, his music defined an era and inspired countless artists along the way. Now, with decades of hits and stories to tell, he’s here to take us back to the roots of the scene he helped create—and share a few secrets from his legendary journey. We catch up with our long-time favorite to dive into the mind of a true pioneer.

Let’s hop into this latest remake, “Everything She Wants” — how did this particular track even come to fruition?  

I was playing a Live set with my two keyboard players and David Zylberman started playing the baseline to “Everything She Wants” and Brian Ellis started playing the strings, then I got on the vocoder and started singing all kinds of crazy stuff and said to the guys, “we really need to remake this song!”   

Of course “Everything She Wants” follows on the heels of  “So Good” — talk to me a lil bit about this entry.  

“So Good” is a new song meant to sound like it’s from 1987. It comes from the style of “You’re so Fine,” and is an incredible track. I’ve been going into the studio a lot with Brian Ellis and my engineer, Masaki Saito, and we have been recording some really good songs.   

How then does “Everything She Wants” and “So Good” compare to or differ from your previous songs? 

“Everything She Wants” is a remake; I love doing remakes. I have remade several songs. Like…”I Need a Freak,” “Green Onions,” “Problems of the World,” and others unreleased. “So Good,” as I said, is a kind of reimagining of “You’re so Fine.”   

Lyrically, where do you draw inspiration from?  

Life.    

Tell me about your musical beginnings. When did this journey start for you? 

It started when I got my 808 in 1983. Before that, I was making mix-tapes in 1979 (and) selling them to friends at James Monroe High School in the San Fernando Valley.    

Growing up in the ‘City of Angels,’ who were some of your biggest influences? 

Too many to mention, but I would have to say Kraftwerk, Prince, Afrika Bambaataa, Rick James, Michael Jackson, Bar-Kays, Gap Band.    

What do you hope people take away from your music? 

Dance and Enjoy their Life.    

Dream collaboration — who would it be? 

Me and Newcleus, and it happened already on a song called “The World Keeps Turning” video.   

If you could play any venue in the world, where would it be? 

The Sydney Opera House. It happened already, and I was really excited.   

 

 

How do you feel about the current state of hip-hop? 

Well I’m over 60 years old, and don’t listen to kids’ music. Hahahaha! But I hope they do what they love, and enjoy life to the fullest.    

What’s the key to your longevity? 

Enjoying what you love to do. I’m a DJ who has his own record label, and I’m simply just having fun.   

Beyond music, what else, if anything, do you want to do? 

Make some movies. Sci-Fi, Documentary, series…yeah, that would be my dream.   

Biggest career moments thus far? 

Putting out these last 4 albums; 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987. Keeping it going, even through the pandemic and all obstacles.    

What’s an average day like for you?

I wake up feeling freaky like I do. I hope others wake like this, too. Hop in the shower, eat some fresh sliced fruit. Jump in the ride to find a Rendezvous.    

How do you interact with your fans? 

I try to do so on Instagram or Facebook. But, I get really busy at times.    

Favorite and least favorite parts of this work? 

My favorite is being at a show. My least favorite is being away from my 4 grandsons.    

What advice would you give to someone following in your footsteps? 

Be yourself, and enjoy your life.   

Five to ten years from now, where do you see yourself? 

Directing a Movie.    

What’s next for Egyptian Lover?  

I’m writing several screenplays, so I think making a movie is next.    

“Egypt, Egypt,” “And My Beat Goes Boom,” “I Need a Freak,” and “What is a D.J. If He Can’t Scratch?,” are bonafide classics — how did these particular selections come about? Who came up with their concepts? And, please describe for me the overall studio vibe(s) on that / those fateful day(s)? 

“I Need a Freak” is a remake from Sexual Harassment.  “Egypt, Egypt” is a long long story, but I made it as if I was making a greatest hits of all my songs that never came out. I used different verses from different songs I wrote to make one song. It was good to me because I knew the songs they came from, but to everyone else it was just one song.  “And My Beat Goes Boom” and “What is a D.J. If He Can’t Scratch?,” was just songs I came up with because I had 2 hours of studio time left. I created to beat, and wrote the rap while the beat was being recorded to tape. I never knew they would come out so good. I then took the tape to a different studio, and did some over dub scratching on them.    

Any parting words for our readers? 

Thank you for reading, and may you enjoy your life. It’s the most important thing.