Black Sherif

Imagine: Burna Boy, one of the biggest pop stars on the African continent, who fills the biggest venues in this country even without much airplay, hears the first radio single by Ghanaian artist Black Sherif and asks to do a feature on the remix. This little anecdote already tells you a lot about the breakthrough qualities of Blacko, as fans affectionately call the singer and rapper, born Mohammed Ismail Sherif in 2002. Black Sherif took the entire West Coast of Africa by storm despite the fact that he doesn’t just follow the omnipresent Afrobeats sound of the moment, but goes his own way with a blend of old (highlife and reggae) and new (drill and rap). He also mixes it up in his singing and rapping, switching adeptly between English and Ghanaian Twi. What also sets him apart is that he always shows his softer side instead of hiding behind thick skin. »I try to be 100% vulnerable,« he says, making him the voice of a generation.
Black Sherif also has a special connection to Berlin: His songs »First Sermon« and »Second Sermon«, recorded with Burna Boy, were produced by Berlin producer Ghanaian Stallion.