Black Sherif

Black Sherif (born Mohammed Ismail Sharrif) is a singer and rapper who combines Ghanaian highlife with reggae, hip-hop, and drill music. Born and raised in Konongo-Zongo, Sharrif’s music career began in 2019 with the arrival of the single “Cry for Me.” His popularity blossomed two years later with the releases of the singles “First Sermon” and “Second Sermon,” which highlighted his substantive lyrics and unorthodox melodies. He reached elite status in 2022 with “Kwaku the Traveller,” which debuted atop the Nigeria TurnTable Top 50 chart, at number five on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs Chart, and at number two on the U.K. Afrobeats Singles Chart. The song appeared on his debut album, The Villain I Never Was, later that year. ~ James Christopher Monger