Fate of controversial US rapper Travis Scott’s concert at Giza Pyramids unclear

The fate of US rapper Travis Scott's long-awaited concert due later this month at Egypt's Giza Pyramids is currently unclear after the Egyptian Musicians' Syndicate officially banned it in reaction to an online campaign against the controversial signer's alleged practices on stage.

While the syndicate announced in an official statement on Tuesday that Scott's concert would "violate the Egyptian traditions" and revoked the permit, the singer's publicist Live Nation denied this news overnight.

"The syndicate chairman and the board have decided to cancel the permit it had earlier issued for the show as it contradicts the identity of the Egyptian culture," local state-run Ahram online reported, citing the union's statement.

"The syndicate is committed to preserving the security and stability of our beloved homeland, rejecting any actions that go against its societal values," it added.

The union oversees matters about live concerts, recorded albums and musical performances in Egypt.

Scott is expected to release his album "Utopia" during a live stream from the Pyramids on 28 July as tickets to his concert sold out only 15 minutes after their release, despite the somewhat exaggerated prices.

"There have been no changes to Travis Scott's show in Egypt; any reports to the contrary are false. We can't wait to celebrate Utopia with you in Egypt," tweeted Live Nation.

In recent years, the union, led by music singer and composer Mostafa Kamel and previously by singer Hany Shaker, has led a crusade against untraditional music genres, banning dozens of Egyptian singers from performing in public.

Egyptian social media users have launched an online campaign recently that called for terminating the concert due to Scott's alleged Afrocentric beliefs and what they described as the "satanic rituals" performed during his performances.

Last month, a jury found Scott not guilty of involvement in the tragic death of 10 concertgoers, including children and teenagers, who died from compression asphyxia, when a crowd of about 50,000 people began pushing towards the stage during his 2021 Astroworld music festival.

After the deadly incident, conspiracy theories claimed Scott orchestrated satanic rituals during his concert.

With over 50 million followers on Spotify and almost a billion views on YouTube, Scott is quite popular among Egyptian teenagers and rap music fans.

It remains unclear whether the syndicate's decision to revoke the permit to hold the concert for a public audience is legally binding.

In February this year, Egypt called off a stand-up comedy show by US comedian Kevin Hart, following a similar social media campaign, also over his advocacy of Afrocentrism, accusing him of distorting history.