Khaberni - The Doki Misdemeanor Appeals Court in Egypt, today (Wednesday), upheld the ruling sentencing the artist Mohammed Ramadan to two years with labor, fining him 10,000 Egyptian pounds, and a bail of 1,000 pounds to temporarily suspend execution, for publishing the song "Number One, Oh Halves" on his official YouTube channel without obtaining the necessary permits from the Censorship Authority on Artistic Works.
Absence from the Appeal
Ramadan was absent from the appeal session, which was scheduled as the first session for appealing the primary judgment issued last November by the Doki Misdemeanor Court in case number 9213 of 2025, administrative Doki.
The court rejected the appeal submitted by the defense of the artist Mohammed Ramadan, endorsing the primary ruling which considered the publishing of the song on August 4, 2025, a clear violation of the Censorship Law on Artistic Works number 38 of 1992.
Licensing Proving Conviction
The incident goes back to a complaint filed by a lawyer against Mohammed Ramadan, accusing him of publishing an audiovisual work (the song and its video clip) without a license from the Ministry of Culture.
The investigations confirmed, based on the report by the Song Management at the Censorship Authority, that the song contains phrases "extremely vulgar," incites violence, and is contrary to public taste and Egyptian norms.
The report described the lyrics as encouraging excessive self-conceit and disrespect to others, making it unfit for public display.
In the reasons for the primary ruling, the court noted that Ramadan had submitted a subsequent license (dated September 16, 2025), but it was provided after the crime had occurred, which proves the conviction.
The song, which has a popular rap style and focuses on personal success with words like "Number One, Oh Halves.. costly in price, oh cheap," has achieved widespread dissemination on YouTube, but it has sparked significant controversy since its release.
