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

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]

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. 1 2 3 Noreen Khan. "How do you get an invitation to breakfast with Obama?". BBC. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  2. 1 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. 1 2 Jennifer Sprouse. "Local Muslim artist brings peace message in new song". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 "Grammy Awards 2017: Best Dressed". TV Guide. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Rex Barber. "Local Musician to attend National Prayer Breakfast in D.C". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 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. 1 2 Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri is Feeling the 'Love'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Cardiff Multicultural Mela Introduction". BBC Wales Music. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  16. 1 2 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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