Hythum

Music fills Hythum El Sayyad’s soul.

It fills every part of the singer/songwriter/musician’s life.

It’s all-consuming, and he’d have it no other way. He lives it. He breathes it. He eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

His passion for music can be heard on his latest EP project, Beyond The Plains, currently available on iTunes and Spotify. An EP (short for extended play) is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single, but is usually unqualified as an album or LP. In this case it’s five. The 27-year-old Bloomington, Indiana native of Egyptian descent, not only wrote and sang the five songs on the EP, he also played all of the instruments.

His music is his own. It’s alternative hip hop. It’s soul. It’s pop rock. It’s fused with Latin and Middle Eastern beats. It’s his. It’s the world’s.

Although he’s clearly marching down a path toward stardom, Hythum’s road hasn’t always been paved with gold.

When he initially moved to Los Angeles from Indiana, Hythum, whose name means ‘young eagle’ in Arabic, actually lived in his car for a month before bunking with a friend for several months until he was able to find his own digs. He’s now called Los Angeles home for a year.

Undeterred by that situation Hythum, who is single, never allowed his circumstances to get in the way of his passion. Steadfast in his resolve to make music, he just continued to make music by playing his guitar while living in his car.

Over the years Hythum, who won a competition called Rhyme Against Crime (raising awareness for gun violence), was the lead singer in a band called Protocol. He was also in a band called Apollo Quad, which opened for artists like Snoop Dogg, Ying Yang Twins, Bone, Thugs N Harmony and more. Now, he’s on his own creating music that will take him and his audience on a melodic voyage.

In conversation with him, it doesn’t take long to realize just how zealous Hythum is about music. His joy is palpable. His enthusiasm is infectious. His voice seems to smile as he talks about his musical journey. Beyond the Plains is his sophomore EP. The first single, Disappear, is on SoundCloud. Last February he released his debut EP called Schematics, now available on iTunes and Spotify. It boasts the songs Supply and Demand, Groove, Death Dealers, Dawn and Think Less, Live More.

I recently caught up with Hythum to talk about Beyond The Plains and how he plans to continue to make sweet music. -

Alternative Hip-Hop artist Hythum delivers a nostalgia-inducing record titled "Bliss" and we can say it exudes the same traits as the title. Using live instruments and taking inspiration from different genres, Hythum delivers his music in a distinct manner far from the norm. "Bliss" was inspired by the thoughtless moments found throughout life and the perspective they give us.
"Bliss" is the first single off Hythum's new album Old Major and was shot at Lake Mirage, Los Angeles California and directed by Bobby Hanaford. It's a simple visual that showcases the artist's performance styled approach.

Read more at https://earmilk.com/2018/05/18/the-slice-episode-4-urban-feature/#lLQrdkV3QGzamcPY.99 -

“A song about travel, impermanence and detachment from possessions”, remarks Hythum about his new song “Wanderlaust”. He puts in some powerful assertions.

Listen to it via soundcloud -

Having opened for such acts as Snoop Dog and The Ying Yang Twins, alternative hip hop artist Hythum prepares a February 19th release date for “Schematics”

“With this E.P. I just want to remind people the importance of passion.” says alternative hip hop vocalist Hythum El-sayyad. “There are people who literally have nothing but each other and they are extremely happy, so it reminded me to focus less on possessions and more on people and the smaller things in life that make us happy.”

Produced by Chip Reardin (Straight No Chaser) at Airtime Studios, “Schematics” has influences reaching from Billy Joel and Pink Floyd, to The Roots and Common. Hythum was also influenced by his recent trip to see his father in Egypt, having visited him before, during, and after the Arab Spring. “I feel the recent reformation in Egypt was just a great reminder that we control our own destiny.” Hythum states. “Anything is possible when people come together in a positive nature. This was huge for my music; a sense of unity, a sense of freedom, and helping one another. Egypt is on the rise; it will take time but it’s a beautiful country full of ambitious open- minded and promising individuals.”
Hythum decided earlier in his career that he wanted to make sure he used his birth name instead of a stage name for his music and performances. “My heritage is for me a point of pride” states Hythum. “We have such a rich and long running culture and the El-sayyad family is very big in Egypt, so keeping my name is important to retaining that.”
After fronting the band Apollo Quad for 5 years Hythum has now set off to explore a new project searching for new sounds and ways to expand and improve his songwriting. He has logged hundreds of shows including opening for major acts such as Snoop Dogg, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Ying Yang Twins, and Jeremiah. -

Los Angeles based alternative hip-hop artist Hythum is gearing up to release his album “Old Major” this summer. “Bliss” is the first release from the project — a pleasant blend of hip-hop, alternative and a hint of country music all in one. -

Melodic rap-rock never felt so sensitive. - Sawdust and Gin