Ghana’s Mohammed Ismail Sherif also known as Black Sherif is somewhat bemused about his meteoric musical rise. He informed CNN’s Larry Madowo on the African Voices show that he is often stunned to see where he’s music has gotten to.

He asserts that even at Ashanti region’s Konongo Zongo, his birth town, it was only his immediate family members who knew he could do music and so to see that his music had become a mainstay in Accra and even crossed the border was humbling.

As Larry noted, his music has blasted from night clubs in Ethiopia, Botswana, Uganda, Sierra Leone and even India. Black Sherif concurs adding after releasing his first album The Villain I Never Was and playing his first show in London, the audience pleasantly shocked him singing the tracks on the album fervently.

When Black Sherif took music seriously

According to Black Sherif, he had hopes of being a musician as well as a professional footballer but after wrapping up his Senior High School education on June 4, 2019, he had the clarity of thought to commit 100% to music.

Music Influences of Black Sherif

He recalled his dad introducing him to reggae whiles his mum a fan of Ivorian reggae star Alpha Blonde and Ghanaian highlifer Adane Best made him take to the genres of reggae and highlife.

Sherif notes that his rhythms and melodies typify highlife eventhough he is a late comer to the party. It’s safe then to say that reggae and highlife influence his music offering.

On why he opted not to feature anyone except Burna Boy on The Villain I Never Was album, “I had a lot on my mind to say,” was his response.

Sherif has nonetheless soldiered on playing the Afronation gig in Miami and being the recipient of the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards for Best International Flow, on his second attempt at the trophy.

He is also the West African Artiste of The Year at the 2023 Headies in Atlanta.

Some of his tracks include “First Sermon”, “Second Sermon, “Destiny”, “Ankonam” and “Soja.”