Ghanaian music sensation, Mohammed Ismail Sherif Kwaku Frimpong, popularly known as Black Sherif has made history as the first artist from Ghana to surpass 500 million streams on Boomplay, one of Africa’s leading digital music platforms.
The milestone was announced by Boomplay in a celebratory post on X (formerly known as Twitter), which read: “KILOS MILLIONS! Special congratulations to Iron Boy the pacesetter @blacksherif_ and fans for hitting a record of 500 million total streams on #Boomplay.”
Reacting to the news, Black Sherif expressed deep gratitude to his supporters.
“This is a dream come true. I am beyond grateful for the love and support from my fans, both in Ghana and around the world. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to share more music with you all.”
Black Sherif
Black Sherif’s meteoric rise to fame began in 2021 with the release of his breakthrough single, “First Sermon,” which was quickly followed by “Second Sermon.” These tracks established him as one of Ghana’s most promising young talents.
His ability to consistently release hit after hit has been nothing short of remarkable, with each new track outdoing the last in terms of popularity.
The “Kilos Milos” hitmaker’s success has not gone unnoticed. In 2023, Black Sherif was honored with the prestigious Telecel Ghana Music Awards Artiste of the Year award, solidifying his status as a leading figure in the Ghanaian music industry.
He also claimed the title of Artiste of the Year at the 3 Music Awards and made history by winning the “Best International Flow” award at the 2023 BET Hip-Hop Awards, becoming only the second African artist to receive this accolade after fellow Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie.
A recent article by Grammy highlighted Black Sherif as a key figure in the Hiplife genre, a style that blends hip-hop with traditional Ghanaian highlife music.
The article praised his unique sound, writing, and fashion, noting how he first gained popularity with his song “Money” in 2019 before achieving international recognition with “First Sermon” and “Second Sermon.”
The Burna Boy-endorsed “Second Sermon Remix” further elevated his profile, leading to a string of hits, including “Kweku The Traveller”, “Soja”, and a standout verse on Odumodu Blvck’s “Wotowoto Seasoning.”
Black Sherif’s journey has seen him perform on global stages such as the MOBO Awards, Wireless Festival, and 2023’s AfroNation, solidifying his place as a global music icon.
With his latest achievement on Boomplay, Black Sherif continues to pave the way for Ghanaian artists on the international stage.
Musician Speaks About His Collaboration With AraTheJay
Ghanaian hiplife youngster, AraTheJay has released the second installment of his infectious single ‘Jesus Christ’.
The new song features Black Sherif, who the Recording Academy recently listed as one of many Ghanaian artists essential to the hiplife genre. The newly released version of AraTheJay’s hit song has gained significant traction on social media.
AraTheJay, real name Samuel Ankrah, is one of the country’s biggest prospective music talents, following the release of his new tape, Finding Nimo Series: The Capsule, which has earned him plaudits from several music industry bigwigs.
Black Sherif shared a flattering remark about AraTheJay and their new collaboration on social media.
On X, formerly Twitter, he described the song as ‘the epitome of hiplife’. His remark spiked anticipation for AraTheJay’s new release and also refueled conversations about his place in the Recording Academy’s eulogy as Ghanaians celebrate the 30th anniversary of the genre.
Speaking about Black Sherif and AraTheJay’s collaboration, music and culture journalist, Gabriel Myers Hansen shared his thought.
Gabriel Myers Hansen said: “Any mention of hiplife, which is among Ghana’s most important musical innovations in decades, is welcome – especially in light of the genre’s 30-year anniversary this year.”
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