Arguably the man of the moment, Ghanaian musician Mohammed Ismail Sherif, also known as Black Sherif, has revealed why his debut album is named ‘The Villain I Never Was’.
To Apple Music 1 radio station’s Dadaboy Ehiz and via FaceTime, he explained the title of the album captures the constant battle with the world and people around him, the battle within himself and the perception he and others hold of him as a result.
“We as individuals are all connected in some way, and some way somehow we are all fighting different battles – internal, external – and with me, everything I’ve learned or say are more like experiences, things I’ve seen or things I’ve seen people go through,” he said.
“With my life, I feel like [a mess], bro,” he revealed.
“I feel like I’m fighting myself, and I’m a human, I need to feel like that sometimes. It shouldn’t always be up up,” Sherif explained further.
“All of the times I’m the villain – in my story, in people’s story – everywhere I’m the villain, but when I sit and think about it I know “Nah bro, I don’t just wake up to be a villain,” he reasoned.
“I’m fighting for my life, I’m trying to make sense, I’m trying to be a better person so I really wasn’t the villain that people paint me to be or that myself is telling me. I’m not the villain,” the ‘Kwaku the Traveller’ hitmaker argued.
The RBA and EMPIRE artiste also spoke on why he avoided collaborations on the album.
On the 14-track album released yesterday, Thursday, 6 October, 2022, the only collaboration is the 11-month-old ‘Second Sermon’ featuring Nigeria’s Burna Boy.
“I really needed to know myself and explore everything in me before I can start sharing out for people to help me tell my story,” the rapper said.
“Music for me has always been very personal, like a safe haven for me to talk my insecurities, things I can’t say outside, so to get someone on a record with me, I just feel like they can’t help me tell my story” he clarified.
“That’s why I went real solo on the album – you know the ‘Second Sermon (Remix)’ with Burna was the only feature on this album. I want people to know my perspectives on life, to actually brief them on what I know, what I’ve seen, what I believe in and how I’m doing,” the artiste nicknamed Blacko added and made a promise: “But soon, collaborations are gonna come, trust me.”
Initially advertised as an extended play (EP), the rapper said this of the surprise long play (LP):
“First thing I’ll say, [the energy] is 100 [per cent] but I was more introspective on this album. I went deeper, I talked about my perspectives on love and things, my experiences. I talked about my external battles, my internal ones, how I cope and how I’m doing.”
Source: Ghanaweb