Who knew some of the internet’s funniest conversations could happen between subway stops? Egyptian-American comedian and creator Kareem Rahma is heading to the Emmys after his wildly popular short-form YouTube series SubwayTakes landed a nomination for Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series. It’s Rahma’s first-ever Emmy nomination, with winners set to be announced this September, and it’s a huge milestone for one of the internet’s most refreshingly original shows.
Meet the Creator Behind SubwayTakes
Before he was handing out hilarious hot takes on the New York City subway, Rahma had a very different career path.
Born in Cairo, Egypt, he moved to the United States as a child and grew up in Minnesota. Long before becoming one of social media’s favorite interviewers, Rahma worked behind the scenes in media, holding roles at major companies like The New York Times and Vice. Eventually, he traded corporate life for comedy, and the internet is definitely better for it.
The Talk Show That Happens Between Subway Stops
The concept behind SubwayTakes is brilliantly simple.
Rahma rides the New York City subway, using a MetroCard as a microphone while chatting with celebrities, creators, and public figures. Every episode starts with a bold opinion, or “take”, before spiraling into conversations that can be completely ridiculous, surprisingly thoughtful, or somehow both at once.
It’s fast, funny, unpredictable, and perfectly suited to the short-form era.
A Guest List Packed With A-Listers
One of the biggest reasons SubwayTakes has become such a hit is its impressive lineup of guests.
Over the years, Rahma has welcomed everyone from Matt Damon, Austin Butler, Jennifer Lopez, Cate Blanchett, and Ramy Youssef to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Whether they’re Oscar winners, comedians, musicians, or politicians, everyone ends up answering the same delightfully random questions on a moving subway train.
An Emmy Moment Worth Remembering
In a moment that feels perfectly on-brand, Rahma revealed that he found out about the Emmy nomination while he was on a subway.
Speaking to TheWrap, he shared the coincidence, making the milestone feel even more fitting for a creator whose entire show is built around New York’s transit system.
The nomination marks his first Emmy recognition, and Rahma celebrated it on Instagram by calling Subway Takes “one of the first-ever home-grown independent series to make it to this level.”
To every single person who watched, shared, liked, commented, followed, laughed, hated, and discussed their SubwayTake over dinner – thank you
Kareem Rahma’s Emmy nomination is more than just a personal milestone; it’s a win for independent creators who prove that great ideas don’t need massive studio budgets to make an impact. From Cairo to the New York subway and now the Emmys, Rahma’s journey shows that sometimes the most memorable conversations really do happen on the train.
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