If you are a fan of Black Sherif, then you must have downloaded his latest single, titled January 9th. The influential Ghanaian hip-hop and Afrobeats gem unveiled the song to coincide with his 22nd birthday, which came on January 9, 2023.
It is not just a composition with his usual punchy lyrics but also comes with a captivating video, which has gathered over 38,000 views, barely 24 hours after it premiered.
As usual, he went hard on the beat, dropping punchlines that were more or less in tune with aspects of his life.
He talks about “everything being under control, despite having “a lot” on his shoulders, and [enemies] wanting him dead.
“It’s not my time to leave, but they want me to die; they don’t want me alive; yeah, they want me to go; trying to survive through the evil eyes, they don’t wanna leave me alone…tryna get me to believe I don’t deserve my life.I used to be shocked, but these days I don’t…” he sings in the opening verse.
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Many of his fans have commended the new project and used the opportunity to wish him well on his anniversary. “His storytelling ability and his inspiring lyrics always draw you to his music,” a fan wrote.
The new melody is a follow-up to his previous single titled Oh No, released in the first week of November 2023.
This record and a number of his tunes, especially on his debut album, The Villain I Never Was, continue to enjoy some good playbacks on streaming platforms and attention from his staunch followers.
It is not clear what impact the new sound will have yet, but the reception so far is an indication of the possible targets the young singer has set for himself in 2024 and beyond.
The single Oh No, for instance, entered the US Afrobeats Billboard Chart shortly after it was released and continued its upward trajectory, reaching No. 41 on the chart as of November 24, 2023.
Characteristically, Kweku The Traveller crooner adopted an energetic flow on the Hip-Hop tune while reflecting on a myriad of themes in the rhythm.
Black Sherif described Oh No, as a reaffirmation of his destiny and my calling but is yet to make any public comment about January 9th.
Born Mohammed Ismail Sherif, the First Sermon crooner, as usual, blends his native language and English on the January 9th rendition.
After his debut album in 2022, he on to record the EP, Take Care of Yourself, which had two tracks: Yaya and Simmer Down.
Black Sherif made history in October when he became the second Ghanaian, after Sarkodie, to win the BET Hip Hop Award for ‘Best International Flow at the 2023 Hip Hop Awards hosted in Atlanta, USA.