Mo Sabri

Mo Sabri is an American hip hop artist and actor from Johnson City, Tennessee.[1][2][3] He first rose to prominence on YouTube and is a musician credited by The Washington Post with transforming his subgenre of hip-hop music.[4] Also known for his fashion choices, Sabri has been featured in Vogue[5] and named "Best Dressed" at the Grammy Awards.[6] 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.[1][7][8] 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.[8]

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

Early life

Mo Sabri was born in Johnson City, Tennessee to Pakistani immigrants.[9] After playing double bass in his middle school orchestra, Mo Sabri taught himself to play guitar and started recording rap songs in high school.[10][11] He started performing concerts worldwide when he was still a pre-medicine student at East Tennessee State University.[7][12] 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.[13] 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[4] and feature cameos by celebrities including Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten,[8] Detroit Tigers pitcher Daniel Norris,[3] Congressman Phil Roe, comedian Aziz Ansari,[14] and rapper B.o.B.[14]

Mo Sabri was a headlining artist at the BBC-sponsored 2011 Cardiff Mela festival in Cardiff, Wales.[15][16]

At the 59th Grammy Awards, Sabri wore a high-fashion sherwani on the red carpet[17] and made multiple best-dressed lists.[6]

Sabri has been featured in national and international press including Huffington Post, The Washington Post, BBC, GEO TV, and Voice of America.[1][4][12][15][16][18]

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".[8] Some of his songs carry an underlying message of faith.[4] Several of his songs have South Asian (also known as "Desi") instrumental influences.[10]

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[8] for its first week. He is currently recording his second album.[19]

Albums
List of albums, with year released
Title Album details
The Overnight Classic[8]
  • 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. Noreen Khan. "How do you get an invitation to breakfast with Obama?". BBC. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  2. 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. Jennifer Sprouse. "Local Muslim artist brings peace message in new song". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  4. Bob Smietana. "Young Muslim musicians marry faith, hip-hop, rock 'n' roll". Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  5. "Grammy Awards 2018: Fashion". Vogue. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  6. "Grammy Awards 2017: Best Dressed". TV Guide. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  7. Rex Barber. "Local Musician to attend National Prayer Breakfast in D.C". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  8. Alysia Madan. "Opening Minds and Defying Stereotypes: Mo Sabri's Pursuit of Cultural and Musical Harmony". Aslan Media. Retrieved July 7, 2013.,
  9. Socolovsky, Jerome. "Muslim Rapper Offers Virtuous Alternative to Mainstream Music".
  10. Zaynah Rashid. "DH! Interview: Mo Sabri is the 'Overnight Classic'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  11. Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri Represents 'Johnson City, Tennessee'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  12. Carl Medearis (January 9, 2013). "Muslims Who Follow Jesus". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  13. Billy Johnson Jr. (August 19, 2015). "Mo Sabri Shines 'The Light' in New Video". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  14. Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri is Feeling the 'Love'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  15. "Cardiff Multicultural Mela Introduction". BBC Wales Music. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  16. BBC Asian Network. "A Summer of Melas". BBC Asian Network. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  17. "Grammy Awards 2017: Red carpet arrivals". AOL. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  18. Jerome Socolovsky. "Muslim Rapper Offers Virtuous Alternative to Mainstream Music". Voice of America. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
  19. "Tweet". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
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