Saif Musaad (born 30 January 1997), professionally known as Safe (stylized as SAFE), is a singer, songwriter, and producer from Toronto, Ontario. He has collaborated with artists such as Playboi Carti, Khalid, and YG. In addition to releasing two studio albums, his song "Contagious" was featured on the Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album.
SAFE | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Saif Musaad |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | 30 January 1997 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | |
| Website | bando416 |
Early life
editSaif Musaad was born on 30 January 1997 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and is of Eritrean descent. His father and mother are Eritreans.[1] He immigrated with his family to Toronto when he was two months old, and grew up in the neighborhood of The Esplanade in eastern downtown Toronto.[2]
Career
editMusaad began to focus on writing lyrics and recording as early as the age of 10. When he was 18, he met Oliver El-Khatib at a video shoot for Jimmy Prime. As the manager for Drake, El-Khatib helped Musaad get a job at the OVO store in Toronto.[3] While at OVO, El-Khatib encoraged Musaad to write and record.[4] As a member of the Halal Gang,[5] he collaborated with artists such as Bibi Bourelly, Ramriddlz, Eric Dingus, and Smoke Dawg.[citation needed] In 2015 he released "Feel", his first single on SoundCloud, receiving received 4.15 million plays over four years.[1] The same year he released Stay Down, his first EP which also contained his single "Feel", and was selling out shows in Toronto.[4]
Musaad moved to New York City in 2017.[6] He continued to release singles and videos, mainly with the vibe of the Esplanade neighborhood where he grew up.[4] His single "No Diamonds" criticized the ostentatious display of the trappings of wealth,[1] while the video to his single "New Regime" depicted the seamy side of his hometown and his reasons for leaving.[citation needed] During the same period, Safe's vocals were featured on a number of other artists' tracks, including September 2018 single "Listen Closely" from fellow Canadians DVBBS,[7] the track "Don't Pretend" from Khalid's 2019 album Free Spirit, and YG's track "Play Too Much" on his 2019 album 4Real 4Real.[8]
Musaad released his debut studio album in 2019 on RCA Records. Titled Stay, it contained 12 tracks that were characterized as cool R&B with elements of dancehall and afrobeat. QUIN and Playboi Carti were the only featured artists on the album.[9] In 2021 he released the single "Trap Smarter", and was featured on Judas and the Black Messiah: The Inspired Album with his single "Contagious" which he performed with Kiana Ledé.[4] The following year he released Get Home SAFE (part 1), his second studio album through RCA Records.[10]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Stay |
|
[11] |
| Get Home SAFE (Part 1) |
|
[10] |
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Album details | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 6ixUpsideDown |
|
|
| NorthernSound |
|
|
| SAFE & Sound |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | Album details | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Stay Down |
|
[12] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Witmer, Phil (24 September 2018). "SAFE Left Behind the Bullshit to Make Himself Better". Vice. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ Rosen, Dean (13 January 2016). "How SAFE Came from Nowhere to Capture Drake's Attention". Vice. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ "The New New 10 Canadian Artists You Should Know". XXL. 23 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d Hassan, Huda (30 April 2021). "No matter how far from Toronto he goes, SAFE's music always embodies Esplanade". CBC.
- ^ Farah, Safy-Hallan (10 March 2016). "Toronto World: Drake, Halal Gang, and the Diaspora in the 6". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016.
- ^ Pierre, Alphonse (5 April 2019). "The Ones: SAFE's "Paid in Full" [ft. Playboi Carti]". Pitchfork. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ Maduakolam, Emmanuel (28 September 2018). "DVBBS and SAFE Extend the Summer With "Listen Closely"". Hypebeast. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ Chin, Mallory (4 April 2019). "Khalid Is Holding out for Love in "Don't Pretend"". Hypebeast. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ A., Aron (10 May 2019). "SAFE Unleashes His Latest Project "STAY" Ft. Playboi Carti & QUIN". Hot New Hip Hop. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- ^ a b Pavlakos, Louis (11 February 2022). "SAFE Is Ready To Be More Honest With Himself". Complex. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Davidson, Claire (6 February 2022). "Toronto's SAFE Returns with Get Home Safe". Sidedoor. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
- ^ Leight, Elias. "SAFE Showcases His Versatility On The Stay Down EP". The Fader. Retrieved 23 February 2022.