As a purveyor of Egyptian pop with international influence, Mohamed Hamaki—or, to go by his nickname, The Sniper—has helped re-establish his homeland’s music on the global stage. His powerful vocals and emotive delivery, backed by instrumentation that weaves modern and traditional sounds, helped him win Best Arabian Act at the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards. Despite a 2011 heart attack, he recovered and continued to enrapture a legion of fans. A 2021 hit, “La Malama”, racked up online views that totalled over nine figures.