In part one of our feature on the most famous musical act in Norway, the duo talk to Tatler about what it means to be beacons of light for generations of immigrants and their descendants
East-west fusion elicits a mixed bag of reactions; sometimes it hits, but sometimes it doesn’t, whether it’s in food, art, dance or music. It’s difficult to strike the right balance because there is no formula. But Norwegian rap duo Karpe might have cracked the code.
Imagine this surreal scene: a 2,000-strong, predominantly Norwegian crowd in a packed theatre in north London belting out “Allah Allah ya baba” (Allah Allah, oh Father) at the top of their lungs. Standing on a raised podium in the middle of the floor section, Magdi Ytreeide Omar Abdelmaguid, who is of Egyptian and Norwegian descent, raises his hand and sings the next line of the duo’s hit song: “Wa salaam alaik ya baba,” or “and peace be upon you”. Fans of all cultural backgrounds from three-year olds to retirees-enthusiastically join in. Back on stage, surrounded by a crew of musicians and dancers, Indian-Norwegian Chirag Rashmikant Patel, the other half of Karpe, starts his verse: “Nye sedler og nye sedler/ Jeg får nye sedler og nye sedler/ Men ingen ser ut som oss på pengene ennå”; the enthralled audience goes wild. Roughly translated, the line means “I got new bank notes, but no one looks like us on the notes just yet”.
A Hindu Gujarati and a half Egyptian Muslim might not be exactly who you picture as the faces of Norwegian music, but Karpe are one of the most popular acts in the country. They were the first hip-hop act to win the artist of the year award at the Norwegian Grammys (Spellemannprisen), in 2010, and they’ve consistently been nominated for awards since then, often taking trophies back home. They were the second most streamed artist in Norway in 2022 and their songs have topped the charts. The track mentioned above, PAF.no, was a crowd favourite and Norway’s third most streamed song for 2022 on Spotify; it topped the charts for 41 weeks and won song of the year at 2023’s Spellemannprisen Awards. In all, Karpe picked up five other prizes at the event.
When the duo started rapping together over 20 years ago in small clubs, there were barely any artists of colour in the Norwegian entertainment industry. “When we were growing up, we were looking to the US or UK to see somebody who looked like us and shared our experience; even though there were a few, it wasn’t really me—there were still a lot of differences,” says Patel, echoing a sentiment felt by minorities in countries around the world. However, they have found a way to ensure people of similar backgrounds see themselves, with Patel adding, “When you mix your mother tongue with Norwegian it becomes unique, and now we do feel represented in a way.”
Patel and Abdelmaguid are barrier breakers: they were among the first rappers in Norwegian to consistently address their experience as children of immigrants through their music. They were also among the first artists of colour to gain such prominence, garnering both critical acclaim and mainstream success. Karpe’s expressive lyrics are often subversive and layered. “They’ve always been talking about serious issues, and about being immigrant kids, but it was also about good vibes and having a good time,” says well- known Norwegian journalist Yohan Shanmugaratnam to Tatler, citing Patel’s humorous take on being an Indian kid in Norway and Abdelmaguid rapping about being a Muslim there. Shanmugaratnam, who is of Sri Lankan and Japanese heritage, wrote a book about Karpe, Hjertet i to: Seks måneder med Karpe (The Heart in Two: Six Months with Karpe), after shadowing them for half a year in 2022.
