Activist, philosopher, artist, filmmaker and thought leader, Moez Masoud recently released his single/music video, “Here to Stay,” a song that takes a stand against oppression, the abuse of power, and war.
Recognized internationally for his multiple talents, Masoud’s work has been featured in elite media outlets such as the BBC, The Economist, The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The Telegraph, and The Washington Post. Moez reaches over 11 million followers across social media platforms and is well known for engaging audiences across diverse fields, from music and media to philosophy and activism.
The music video has garnered 10 million collective views on IG and FB combined, along with almost 200,000 likes and positive interactions, and tens of thousands of shares. It has been posted by many notable figures globally, including Lina Hadid, Gigi and Bella’s cousin, known for her advocacy for justice. The video’s soft launch at the prestigious Dorchester Hotel at the Voices of Palestine event in October (2024) was attended by many key figures, including Roger Waters of Pink Floyd.
Tattoo.com spoke with Moez Masoud to talk about the correlation of his work, how he got started in music, and the concept of a moral baseline.
How would you say that “Here to Stay” is representative of, or perhaps not representative of, your overall body of work which spans film, music, and any other media you’d like to inform us about?
‘Here to Stay’ is actually quite representative of my work in terms of message, urgency, and emotional depth. But sonically? I’d say it’s one facet of a spectrum. My music shifts depending on what needs to be said—sometimes it’s intimate and stripped back, other times it’s well… like this track!
Other than music, I work in film and philosophy, and for me, it’s all the same thing: storytelling, meaning-making, truth seeking. Whether it’s a song, a documentary, a TV show, or a film, it all comes down to capturing something real and putting it out into the world in a way that resonates.
Please describe the balance between your career as a musician/musical artist and your day job(s), which appears to encompass facets of scholasticism, activism, and more. How are you able to focus on the music in the wake of these other activities?
I don’t really think of them as separate. Music, academia, media, activism—to me, they’re all different ways of communicating.
That being said, I don’t make music on a schedule. I write and record when I need to, when something demands to be expressed through music rather than any other medium. That’s why I don’t release as often as conventional artists do—because for me, it’s not about the industry. It’s about being real, being present in whatever I’m doing at that moment, whether it’s writing a song, filming a show, or speaking at an event.
What other music have you created other than the current single? Any albums, EPs, other singles, etc?
There’s ‘Ya Rehla’ with Cairokee’s Amir Eid–that amazing MENA region band. And a few other songs in Arabic. I actually have a lot of unreleased material that might finally find its way to an album.
How did you get started in music, from your initial interest in it to actually pursuing it as, ostensibly, a career?
It started with Pearl Jam, Metallica, and Pink Floyd—those bands shaped the way I understood music. When I was 15, my mom bought me a guitar, and that was it. I started playing, writing, and experimenting with sound.
But I never saw music as a career—not in the conventional sense. It was always there, running parallel to everything else I was doing. Even now, I don’t force it into a commercial framework. I make music because I have something to say, and when the moment is right, I release it.
How were you given the opportunity to give an address at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Dialogue in Geneva? Please describe your experience.
The UNHCR invitation came because of my work at the intersection of media, philosophy, and humanitarian efforts. I’ve always tried to use my platform to amplify voices that are often ignored, whether through music, film, or public discourse. That resonated with the UNHCR, and they invited me to speak.
The experience was powerful. It’s one thing to talk about displacement and injustice from a distance—it’s another to be in a room where policy, activism, and real human stories converge. Moments like that reinforce why I do what I do, why I keep pushing forward despite the resistance.
What, if anything, has been the reaction from ‘the opposition,’ howsoever you desire to interpret that phrase, to your efforts to support the people championed in your latest single? As you’re doubtlessly aware, numerous people, in certain parts of the world, might describe what you’re saying is happening to the people you’re supporting in the song, as something that’s being actuated, by those same people, against those portrayed as oppressors in the tune.
Opposition is inevitable when you stand for something real.
Truth is inconvenient—it disrupts narratives, challenges power structures, and forces people to confront uncomfortable realities. That’s why resistance happens.
But I don’t play the game of selective outrage. If you’re against oppression, then you should be against it everywhere, no matter who’s committing it. That’s the moral baseline. If someone finds that controversial, that says more about them than it does about me.
At the end of the day, ‘Here to Stay’ is about standing for something that transcends politics—basic human dignity. And if that makes certain people uncomfortable, so be it.
