SHERIF has always remained unique. From the jump he was making waves and breaking genres in a way that nobody else has. SHERIF’s catalog has nothing but range. His tracks contain elements of rap, hip hop, and R&B, and everything in between. For certain there is something for everyone in his extensive discography. His sound is constantly evolving, influenced by the sounds of his Egyptian culture, the DMV where he grew up, and Hollywood where he currently resides. His music has seen a lot of growth in the past year and even caught the eye of influencer/Tik Tok star Addison Rae with his track Delilah. SHERIF is now back with a brand new song Illusion! Make sure you stream the new track and give a read to what he had to say below.
What was the creative process behind “Illusion”?
Illusion was an interesting session. I was working with The Vujà Dé and he made that beat with the trippy saxophone sample and he asked me to lay down some vocal ideas on it. I told him I thought the song would work better for him and it wasn’t right for me. We then probably worked on 3-4 other beats but he kept returning back to it and insisting I try something and I kept refusing. Eventually I laid down the “You gotta make up your mind and make up your mind” portion of the song. I didn’t have the concept for the song down yet, that was just a freestyle idea. The next day I played it in the car and saw the vision and the story came to me instantly. Definitely one of my favorite tracks I’ve ever written. Good thing Luke pushed me to use it cause it really ushered in a whole new sound for me.
How long have you been creating music? Have you always had the talent or is it something that has grown and developed?
I’ve been writing and recording since I was 12 years old. I always had a talent for writing. I have wanted to be a novelist since I was 8 years old. It’s definitely something that has grown and developed as well though. I think I’ve put my 10,000 hours into songwriting.
You can create a variety of records, your catalog is very versatile. Delilah is another record that stood out. Can you talk to us about that record?
Delilah is an anti-club club song. I wrote it the day after partying at Deliah for Jazz night the week before Covid hit. I was enjoying myself with the homies at our table but also felt a sudden wave of sadness and loneliness come over me. Everything just felt so fake, and you begin to question the intentions of everyone there and the superficiality of it all. I have a vision to get Drake on the remix.
Heaven is another record that feels really special. Can you talk to us about that record?
Heaven is a sex song but it’s really about depression and the emptiness of casual sex.The story follows the protagonist using their partner’s body as a scapegoat for their own loneliness. It’s also a metaphor for the transformative nature of sex and it’s power to take your mind to a different place. A feel good sounding record with darker undertones layered underneath. Shout out to Tayo Fetti and The Vujà Dé for their contributions. Definitely one of my favorite records.
You’ve had some Tik Tok success, can you talk to us about the support you have had?
Addison Rae posted Delilah in one of her videos. I wouldn’t exactly call it a success because it barely made the record move. It’s funny how things like that can pan out. You get thrown one of the biggest alley-oops in the game but you miss the dunk. Then the thing you least expect that’s completely off your radar could be the thing that really pops off. You never know.
What are you looking to depict through your music? What is the vision or the goal?
I want to depict the rawest emotions and the realest storytelling. Hemingway once said all you have to do is write “one true sentence”: I’ve always made music to inspire, to bring people happiness and to make people dance. Recently my music has also taken on a healing component. I’m really trying to save people’s lives.
