Revisiting: Sharifa - COME AND HELP ME
London-based artist Sharifa created their new track, COME AND HELP ME, while in a dark emotional space. Here’s the lowdown on the 18 year old creative’s latest.
Call it emo rap. Call it goth trap. Call it whatever, as long as you feel it and connect with it. Sharifa Olateju, under the performing name of Sharifa, released COME AND HELP ME in late October accompanied by a cinematic music video. Sharifa told SOuthside: “Whilst making COME AND HELP ME, I was in a really dark and emotional space. I felt trapped in the mindset and negative emotional state that I was feeling at that time, and felt like there was no way out for me. I portrayed this emotion in the track while asking for someone to ‘come and help me’, to get me out of there”.
The video, shot primarily using a SnorriCam - a camera attached to the subject of filming - uses long exposure to capture light trails, embodying the ‘racing’ feeling many of us know all too well while struggling. The light trails, hard focus and rolling shutter effects reflect the dizziness of solitude and the melancholy topic of COME AND HELP ME.
Having moved to London from the Midlands around a year ago to study at such a revered institution as The BRIT School, Sharifa takes his inspiration more so from everyday experiences than artists. Sharif writes about what he goes through, sees and feels. “But when I think back to my childhood”, Sharifa told SOuthside, “when a lot of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross was played, I realised that [music] was what I wanted to do.
“Kanye West is someone who’s influenced me - artistically speaking of course. He pioneered a lot of the things I use, and I like that he thinks outside of the box with regards to the arts in general, not just music. I also take influences for films, fashion, and the creative arts scene as a whole.”
Sharifa has more tracks in the pipeline. “I’m excited to see where they’ll go. These probably won’t be shared until next year. I’ve also been working on a lot of my production and DJing as well. I DJ a lot of grime, drum and bass, house, reggae, dub, rap and r&b.”
Until there’s new music, we have COME AND HELP ME to soak up from Sharifa. Tap the below for more Sharifa:
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