A Quick Chat with Saif

Can you tell me a bit about your single ‘Black Rose’?

It’s a song about uplifting oneself from one’s hardship. I also write about how West Syd is depicted negatively by most mainstream media outlets, always highlighting the societal challenges and rarely celebrating the diversity and development of Western Sydney. The title ‘Black Rose’ was inspired by the poetry book by Tupac Shakur ‘ The Rose That Grew From Concrete’, it’s a metaphor for something beautiful blooming out of harsh realities someone is confined in.

Who are your biggest inspirations?

J Cole, Nipsey Hussle, Tupac Shakur, Nas, Lowkey - Music

Malcolm X, Muhammed Ali, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Gary Vee, George Orwell - Outside Music

What has been your favourite part of being in the Conscious program?

The amount of knowledge to soak in, also the feeling of being a part of a community. I have been an independent artist for all my career and have done everything alone, so to be a part of something bigger felt empowering.

Is there anyone you would like to collaborate with? Why?

Hermitude - They have an original sound and it’s something outside my comfort zone. I would love to see how a track could end up sounding working with them.

What has been your greatest career highlight so far?

Getting 50k streams on two songs and getting picked by a few big Spotify Playlists, and performing in front of 30,000 people at the Homebush Olympic Stadium for a Bengali New Year Festival.

What is your creative process like?

I usually find a beat that gets me moving, soon enough lyrics are coming out. I tend to write line by line, so I am rapping a line then starting the beat again. This is unless I have a verse just come to me while I’m in the zone. I generally create the verses first and the choruses last. I am working on the flow as I get the lyrics done. After the verses and choruses are written, I think about structure. I then record the song in the studio, and sit on that file for a few weeks to think about changes of lyrics, structure, features and extra instrumentation.

When you aren’t writing music, what are you doing?

Fitness is a big part of my lifestyle, so I’m in the gym a few days a week. I also captain a local cricket team and we train about once a week. I love swimming and traveling too. I also read a lot, the last book I read was MotorCycle Diaries. And I definitely can’t pass up a good TV Show or Film, just finished watching the last season of Stranger Things.

What’s one interesting fact that people might not know about you?

I have a degree in Economics from Western Sydney University.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

The greatest wealth is the richness of the soul.

What’s next for Saif?

I plan to keep putting out great music and hope to keep inspiring people to see the best in themselves.