THE STORY OF MOLOTOF
Short Introduction
He was born in 1995 in the heart of Cairo, surrounded by a deeply artistic atmosphere, being the grandson of the renowned writer Khairy Shalaby. From day one, he was immersed in creativity, growing up in the corridors of the Egyptian Radio and Television building where his mother worked.
He loved all forms of art and sports. He learned to draw and practiced it since childhood, and he also practiced swimming and basketball before deciding to deeply study art. He studied set design at the Higher Institute of Theatrical Arts, then film editing at the Cinema Institute, and also joined the Arab Music Institute to learn the foundations of Arabic music and Eastern rhythms. He studied Western music remotely as well.
After mastering all that he studied, Molotof decided to embark on various musical experiments — from composition to soundtrack music — and began crafting a new sound that bridges the gap between the different forms of Egyptian street art, such as rap, mahraganat and electronic music. He excelled in many experiments that had a significant impact in this field from 2012 until today.
The Discovery Moment
In 2011, the Mahragan genre began to rise strongly in the marginalized outskirts of Cairo, which make up the largest part of the city's area and population. But for a long time, Mahraganat remained a closed form of art, with limited melodies, repetitive rhythms, and lyrics that simply changed from one singer to another.
Around the same time, Egyptian rap started emerging from Alexandria and moving toward Cairo, as Alexandrian rap youth decided to engage in an artistic battle between the two cities. With the rise of social media, Mahraganat began spreading widely, facing intense criticism from experts and the public. However, that criticism did not extinguish its fire — it actually helped it spread even more.
Molotof started to feel that there was a genuine Egyptian sound resonating in the air, so he went looking for it. He began exploring the original neighborhoods where it came from, visiting places like Madinet El Salam, Boulaq, Shubra, and others — places he had never known before discovering Mahraganat. That’s when he realized that Cairo has a different taste — in fact, many tastes, scents, and flavors.
Molotof went on to create some of the most iconic collaborations in the genre with artists like El Sawareekh (El Sadat), Fifty, 3enba, ElZoksh, Shubra, and many others. Eventually, he decided to fuse rap and Mahraganat into a unique Cairo sound that his audience came to call “Molowave.” That marked the beginning of his journey with rap.
He produced some of the most famous hits for trap artists like Marwan Pablo and Wegz — tracks like “Dorak Gai,” “El Gemeza,” and “Dynamite” — which went on to shape the Egyptian music scene ever since.
His artistic journey evolved over time, and each phase had its own form and name. He started out on SoundCloud under the name Molotof, and later used the alias “Hadaeq 303” when he began mixing the sound of acid with Egyptian music — a unique blend that he pioneered. His experiments fermented through different styles and mixtures, until a distinct name for the sound he created emerged — one the audience would eventually call “Molowave.”
The Molowave
After the Molowave sound achieved what he had once dreamed of, Molotof felt there was still a missing link — a thirst for deeper knowledge and exploration of the Egyptian and Eastern musical identity that had echoed in his mind since childhood. A sound that kept returning in songs and melodies inspired by Eastern folklore, though many were unaware of its origins.
This led him on a journey back to nature — to Sinai — where he began to understand the connection between music, the earth, and human origins. This trip resulted in two musical projects: the album “Gabal Ahmar” in collaboration with RAKETE, a techno project inspired by the emotional and spiritual experience of Sinai, and the mini-album “Molotof in Sinai,” a spontaneous collaboration between Molotof and local Sinai artists who carried music within them by nature.
Upon his return, Molotof discussed his ideas and emotions from Sinai with his mother, Reem Khairy, who helped complete the picture in his mind by talking to him about the concept of folklore — how folklore is music born instinctively from nature. This inspired Molotof to dedicate himself to studying the roots of both Eastern and Western music, tracing it back to the very first melody known to mankind.
He studied deeply, learning to play the oud, the riqq (traditional hand drum), and both Eastern and Western keyboard instruments. He began comparing all that he had studied with Western and electronic music, which he had also explored in depth. This led him to collaborate with artists outside of rap and Mahraganat, experimenting with new styles and taking the Molowave sound into a new phase — a return to the roots.
He rearranged many traditional folk songs, giving them a contemporary form that preserved their authenticity. His mother, Reem Khairy Shalaby, who had already been researching folklore for years, joined him in the project. She never imagined that time would unite her with her son in what she considers a national and historical artistic endeavor. But Molotof didn’t stop with her — he began searching for unique and fresh voices to join him on this journey.
Molotof documented his study and exploration through several artistic and musical projects — both individual and collaborative. These included his collaboration with Tunisian artist Emel Mathlouthi, and the album “The Indigenous” with Reem Khairy and singer-writer Fayrouz Karawya, who has long followed Molotof’s journey as a journalist and now as a Port Said–based singer working to preserve her city’s heritage. Other collaborators included Jimmy El Gohary and 3bada on tracks like “‘Ala 7ezb Wedad Galby” and “Hekawy Dahab.”
He also brought his new sound into the world of film and TV, composing soundtracks for various works, including the documentary “The Story of Shadia and Her Sister Sahar” by director Ahmed Fawzy Saleh.
Molotof has also started expanding his rich collaboration with his mother into a new project titled “Electro-Fallahi” — a fusion of rural folk and electronic music.
But Molotof’s artistic ambitions are ever-growing and fertile, always producing something new. As of writing these words, he continues to work on fresh creations that will soon reach his audience.
The Voice of Molowave
Today, Molotof is stepping fully into his voice—not just as a producer and composer, but as a rapper, singer, and songwriter. After years of shaping the sound of a generation from behind the scenes, he now brings his own stories to the mic. Blending his raw vocal presence with his signature Molowave production, he’s entering a new era where every track speaks in his own words, his own tone, and his own truth.