MySpace a place for friends

Zaki Youssef is a 28 years old, half Egyptian, half Danish rapper/beatboxer/producer and multi artist. Zaki has an extensive musical background. Playing music since a very young age. Developing his skills performing and composing everything from Reggae, Hip Hop, Electro, Dancehall, Experimental and Soul music, to Classic and Modern Arab and Egyptian Music. Between 1998 and present days, he toured 3 times in Europe, toured more than 35 different states in the U.S., toured the Middle East, featured on more than 10 albums, composed music for several theater performances and films. He was co-founder of the well known Universal Soundsystem, some of the first to put Dancehall on the map in Denmark. Zaki was a part of the danish band Æter. An innovative ensemble composing music solely with real sounds. In 2001 he put out his solo debut album, recorded in a small flat, with the help of some good friends and a non-existent budget. The album entitled “MusikMozaik” was very well received by the Danish Press, and got him nominated for Copenhagen Awards and Danish Hip Hop Awards, Best New Artist. In 2004 he toured the Middle East with the group Oriental Mood. He also performed at the Egyptian State Opera with the Egyptian composer, Fathy Salama who won a Grammy for composing the music for Yousson N’ Dours album Egypt. These events led The Danish National TV to produce and air a documentary about him going to Egypt doing music. 2005 he was busy performing, offering workshops, and actively participating in all sorts of cultural and political projects. One out of many was the sold out success “Etnisk Uheld” at Betty Nansen Theater in Copenhagen. 2006 he continued performing all over Denmark at the biggest venues; from Roskilde Festival to Store Vega. Also Middle East Peace Orchestra featured him in their concerts at the Royal Theater of Copenhagen. Zaki was elected artist of the season at the Royal Theater of Copenhagen and as a result of that had two sold out concerts at the newly build Royal Opera. 2007 he composed the music for the play “Rasmus & Jamilla”. In addition to performing the music live in the play, he also played several parts. Later that year he played the title role in the play “Don Juan” at Betty Nansen Theater in Copenhagen. 2008 he was invited to compose the music for a modern ballet version of “Othello” at the Royal Ballet of Denmark. He also traveled to Palestine to do hip hop workshops in five different refugee camps in the West Bank. In addition to that, he is part of a campaign called “We’re Copenhageners”, celebrating the multi ethnic reality of Copenhagen. Zaki was given the Frederiksberg Talent 2008 award, by the city council of Frederiksberg, which is a part of Copenhagen. His second album entitled "Life, Love & Resistance" hit the stores in November 2008!

Buy the single "They Don..t Know directly from iTunes, by clicking on the picture above.