Mo Sabri

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Mo Sabri
Mo sabri performing live 1.jpg
Background information
Birth nameMo Sabri
OriginJohnson City, Tennessee, US
GenresPop, Hip hop, Alternative, acoustic
Occupation(s)Hip hop artist, actor, singer-songwriter, producer, musician
InstrumentsVocals, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, piano
Years active2010–present
Websitemosabri.com

Mo Sabri is an American hip hop artist and actor from Johnson City, Tennessee.[1][2][3] He is best known for his music videos on YouTube and being named "Best Dressed" at the 59th Grammy Awards.[4] Sabri is a musician credited by The Washington Post with transforming his subgenre of hip-hop music.[5] In February 2013, the positive impact of his music received further recognition and he was invited to Washington D.C. to attend breakfast with President Barack Obama.[6][7] Sabri's first album, The Overnight Classic, debuted as one of the top five highest-selling albums on the iTunes World chart during its first week in 2012.[7]

Early life[]

Mo Sabri was born in Johnson City, Tennessee to Pakistani immigrants.[8] After playing double bass in his middle school orchestra, Mo Sabri taught himself to play guitar and started recording rap songs in high school.[9][10] He started performing concerts worldwide when he was still a pre-medicine student at East Tennessee State University.[6][11] He graduated from college in 2013 and became a full-time recording artist.

Career[]

Mo Sabri first rose to prominence at a local level after the online release of his song "Johnson City, Tennessee" in 2011.[12] He started to tour nationally and internationally while releasing more songs on his YouTube channel and continued to gain popularity worldwide. His music videos have received millions of views[5] and feature cameos by celebrities including Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten,[7] Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris,[3] Congressman Phil Roe, comedian Aziz Ansari,[13] and rapper B.o.B..[13]

Mo Sabri was a headlining artist at the BBC-sponsored 2011 Cardiff Mela festival in Cardiff, Wales.[14][15]

At the 59th Grammy Awards, Sabri wore a high-fashion sherwani on the red carpet[16] and made multiple best-dressed lists.[4]

Sabri has been featured in national and international press including Huffington Post, The Washington Post, BBC, GEO TV, and Voice of America.[1][5][11][14][15][17]

Musical style[]

Mo Sabri's music falls into the alternative hip hop genre.[2] His lyrics touch on subjects such as love, society, personal struggles, religion, and it has been said that his music "transcends politics and religion".[7] Some of his songs carry an underlying message of faith.[5] Several of his songs have South Asian (also known as "Desi") instrumental influences.[9]

Discography[]

Mo Sabri's debut album, The Overnight Classic, was released in January 2012 and was one of the top five highest-selling albums on the iTunes World chart[7] for its first week. He is currently recording his second album.[18]

Albums[]

List of albums, with year released
Title Album details
The Overnight Classic[7]
  • Released: January 1, 2012
  • Format: CD, Digital download

Videography[]

  • 2009: "What's Your Name Again?"
  • 2011: "Johnson City, Tennessee"
  • 2012: "Heaven Is Where Her Heart Is"
  • 2012: "Jesus"
  • 2015: "The Light"

References[]

  1. ^ a b Noreen Khan. "How do you get an invitation to breakfast with Obama?". BBC. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Bob Smietana (July 8, 2013). "Muslim Music for a New Generation: Who Says Hip-Hop Can't Be Islamic?". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Jennifer Sprouse. "Local Muslim artist brings peace message in new song". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Grammy Awards 2017: Best Dressed". TV Guide. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d Bob Smietana. "Young Muslim musicians marry faith, hip-hop, rock 'n' roll". Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Rex Barber. "Local Musician to attend National Prayer Breakfast in D.C". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Alysia Madan. "Opening Minds and Defying Stereotypes: Mo Sabri's Pursuit of Cultural and Musical Harmony". Aslan Media. Retrieved July 7, 2013.,
  8. ^ Socolovsky, Jerome. "Muslim Rapper Offers Virtuous Alternative to Mainstream Music".
  9. ^ a b Zaynah Rashid. "DH! Interview: Mo Sabri is the 'Overnight Classic'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  10. ^ Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri Represents 'Johnson City, Tennessee'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  11. ^ a b Carl Medearis (January 9, 2013). "Muslims Who Follow Jesus". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  12. ^ Billy Johnson Jr. (August 19, 2015). "Mo Sabri Shines 'The Light' in New Video". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  13. ^ a b Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri is Feeling the 'Love'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Cardiff Multicultural Mela Introduction". BBC Wales Music. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  15. ^ a b BBC Asian Network. "A Summer of Melas". BBC Asian Network. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  16. ^ "Grammy Awards 2017: Red carpet arrivals". AOL. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  17. ^ Jerome Socolovsky. "Muslim Rapper Offers Virtuous Alternative to Mainstream Music". Voice of America. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  18. ^ "Tweet". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.

External links[]

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