Bakar (musician)

Biography

Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr, known mononymously as Bakar, is an English singer and songwriter from Camden Town, London. The UK-based musician was born on February 12, 1994, and grew up in Camden Town, North London. His distinct voice has earned him comparisons to vocalist Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, and he’s currently signed to Black Butter Records.

Learn more about Bakar by reading below.

instruments played

Vocals

Associated Acts

Slowthai
Dominic Fike

Genres

Indie rock

Labels

Black Butter

Occupations

Musician
singer

Website

badkid.uk[dead link]

Years Active

2017 - present

Wiki Link

How Bakar Got Into Music

Growing up, Bakar was heavily influenced by the music of Devonte Hynes, who currently performs as Blood Orange. The English musician was previously the main man behind the group The Test Icicles, who shaped Bakar’s music taste as a high school and college student. In an interview with Wonderland Magazine, Bakar recounted a time he spoke to Hynes about the impact the latter had had on him. “I was saying to him, like, ‘Yo, I was a kid in the crowd watching you be Lightspeed Champion,’” Bakar told Wonderland, referring to an all-ages festival that introduced Bakar to Hynes’s band. While Hynes served as one of Bakar’s primary musical influences, his taste was also shaped by Bloc Party, another alternative act fronted by a Black man. “I was into Bloc Party too, ‘cause the music was fucking sick,” Bakar told Wonderland, “But there was definitely something about seeing a black guy front a band in such a white dominated scene.” In addition to Dev Hynes and Kele Okereke, Bakar has also cited rapper and producer Madlib as one of his primary influences. Madlib is known for his collaborations with MF Doom, with the two releasing music together as Madvillain. The sample-driven work of the hip-hop duo had a major impact on subsequent releases by a generation of artists. Taking his love of rap into consideration, as well as his penchant for many other genres, Bakar has said that his music taste is “schizophrenic.”

Bakar’s Songs

Bakar’s earliest releases were all posted exclusively to SoundCloud. The artist uploaded his first songs to the platform back in 2015 as part of his Happy BDay to Me EP. The project was followed by several SoundCloud-exclusive singles throughout 2016 and 2017, including “Little Secret,” “Sharing is Caring,” “Best for You,” and “New Day.”

Badkid

Bakar’s debut mixtape, Badkid, was released in 2018 and features the singles “Big Dreams,” “All In,” and “Badlands.” The project earned critical acclaim and was followed by performances at Live at Leeds, The Great Escape, The Dome, Camden Assembly, and more. Around this time, Bakar started getting press attention from outlets that described him as the man single-handedly breathing life back into the indie scene. During the production of Badkid, Bakar drew inspiration from the classic Gorillaz record Demon Days, and he told Clash Magazine, “That’s just one album I remember thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to try and go in this direction?’”

Will You Be My Yellow?

Bakar got a deal with Black Butter Records in 2019, and his first release with the label was the EP Will You Be My Yellow? The project, which features six songs, including the single “Hell n Back,” was met with rave reviews. “Hell n Back” earned Bakar his first Gold certification in the United States, and the song currently has over 100 million plays on Spotify. After the release of Will You Be My Yellow? Bakar appeared on BBC Radio 1Xtra to perform a cover of Mac Miller’s “Circles.”

Recent Work

Since the release of Will You Be My Yellow, Bakar’s fanbase has continued to grow. The 27-year-old artist followed up the EP with a new version of “Hell N Back” that was recorded at ColorsxStudios. Not long after, Bakar collaborated with Sebastian and Jimmy Edgar on a remix of the track “Sober.” One of Bakar’s most successful tracks since the release of his EP is “1st Time,” a poppy track that has gained over 15 million Spotify streams since its 2020 release.

Features

Bakar has been featured on numerous tracks by artists in a variety of genres, including:

“Hell of a Heart” by Jaxxon D. Silva
“Night Garden” by Benee and Kenny Beats
“We Found It” by Myd
“Ghetto Yout” by Lancey Foux, Monkey 67, and Clairo

Bakar’s Career as a Model

In addition to being a successful musician, Bakar has worked extensively as a model. He was one of the primary faces on the runway at the current Men’s Artistic Director of Louis Vuitton’s first show, and he’s previously modeled for numerous other major companies. Bakar was among other Black industry greats in the show, including Kid Cudi, Steve Lacy, and Blood Orange’s Devonte Hynes. Bakar’s knack for fashionable attire has become a significant part of his image as an artist. He’s often photographed wearing outfits inspired by a wide array of styles, including streetwear, high fashion, and more.