Rising Ghanaian music sensation Black Sherif has offered fans a candid glimpse into the life he might have lived without his musical breakthrough.
During an appearance on the Afro Select Show, the “Second Sermon” hitmaker revealed he would likely be immersed in the family spare parts business or Accra’s secondhand clothing trade had his music career not taken off.
“My father’s spare parts shop in Konongo was the family trade engines, tires, all those components,” the artist born Mohammed Ismail Sherif Kwaku Frimpong shared. “Without music, you’d probably find me there or pushing bales of used clothes in Accra markets.”
The 22-year-old artist didn’t shy away from recounting his rebellious school days either, admitting to frequent unauthorized excursions from his Kumasi boarding school to gamble and dance near KNUST campus. These formative experiences now fuel his authentic storytelling in tracks that resonate across Africa and beyond.
Black Sherif’s reflections come as he promotes his sophomore album “Iron Boy” across Europe, marking another milestone in his meteoric rise from Kumasi streets to international stages. His journey embodies the stark realities many Ghanaian youth face where entrepreneurial hustle and creative passion often compete as survival strategies in challenging economic landscapes.
The artist’s transparency about his alternate life paths underscores the precarious nature of creative careers in Africa, where music success stories like his remain exceptional rather than commonplace. As Black Sherif continues his European tour, his narrative serves as both inspiration and sobering reminder of the thin line between artistic breakthrough and the grinding informal sector trades that await most young Ghanaians.
