Mo Sabri is an American singer, songwriter, and filmmaker 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 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 name | Mo Sabri |
| Origin | Johnson City, Tennessee, US |
| Genres | Pop, Country, Hip hop, Alternative, acoustic |
| Occupation(s) | singer-songwriter, producer, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, percussion, piano |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Website | mosabri |
Early life
editMo 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
editMo 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
editMo 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
editMo 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
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| The Overnight Classic[8] |
|
Videography
edit- 2009: "What's Your Name Again?"
- 2011: "Johnson City, Tennessee"
- 2012: "Heaven Is Where Her Heart Is"
- 2012: "Jesus"
- 2015: "The Light"
References
edit- ^ a b c Noreen Khan. "How do you get an invitation to breakfast with Obama?". BBC. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Jennifer Sprouse. "Local Muslim artist brings peace message in new song". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Bob Smietana. "Young Muslim musicians marry faith, hip-hop, rock 'n' roll". Washington Post. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2018: Fashion". Vogue. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ a b "Grammy Awards 2017: Best Dressed". TV Guide. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ a b Rex Barber. "Local Musician to attend National Prayer Breakfast in D.C". Johnson City Press. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ 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.,
- ^ Socolovsky, Jerome. "Muslim Rapper Offers Virtuous Alternative to Mainstream Music".
- ^ a b Zaynah Rashid. "DH! Interview: Mo Sabri is the 'Overnight Classic'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri Represents 'Johnson City, Tennessee'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ a b Carl Medearis (January 9, 2013). "Muslims Who Follow Jesus". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^ Billy Johnson Jr. (August 19, 2015). "Mo Sabri Shines 'The Light' in New Video". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ^ a b Zaynah Rashid. "Mo Sabri is Feeling the 'Love'". DesiHits!. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ a b "Cardiff Multicultural Mela Introduction". BBC Wales Music. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ a b BBC Asian Network. "A Summer of Melas". BBC Asian Network. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2017: Red carpet arrivals". AOL. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
- ^ Jerome Socolovsky. "Muslim Rapper Offers Virtuous Alternative to Mainstream Music". Voice of America. Retrieved November 5, 2013.
- ^ "Tweet". Twitter. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2014.
External links
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