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Punk, metal, and hip-hop all emerged around the same time, so it makes sense for them to blend and bleed into each other. It’s how we got the Judgement Night soundtrack and crossover thrash bands with hip-hop cadences. Ice-T’s metal band Body Count and “Cop Killer.” Lil Wayne’s Rebirth. Nu-metal. The list of how rap and rock interact goes on and on, and currently at the center of the Venn diagram of these genres sits Fatboi Sharif.
Labeling Fatboi Sharif as “horrorcore” would be akin to calling David Lynch a horror director. Sharif employs horrific imagery when weaving his highly imaginative and grossly engaging scenes, but he doesn’t rely on Halloween monsters or slasher imagery. Sharif’s raps are abstract poems set to vivid soundscapes, courtesy of a handful of trusted collaborators. There’s also a dark sense of humor at play, “Ginger snaps, talks apparent,” he raps on “Cinnamon.” “Enter Vietnam volley Ferris / I shouted for God’s help, then shot the sheriff.”
The “Garden State Gargoyle” has been involved in the Jersey underground scene in the 2010s, but his latest project might thrust him deep into the spotlight. With Let Me Out, a collaboration with producer Driveby (released April 24), Sharif is a hip-hop Hieronymus Bosch, guiding you through an audio experience that’s one part Madvillainy, one part Saturn Devouring His Son. It’s exactly the kind of album punk, metal, and rock fans should check out.
Is It Death Metal Or Is It Hip-Hop? It’s Both!
If the artistic references above weren’t obvious enough, Fatboi Sharif’s lyrics are dark and philosophical. “Coming up, I went through a lot of crazy things and different tragedies,” he told Every Déjà vu in 2024. “My music might be dark, sure, but it’s all about creating a new experience.”
Growing up with a love for poetry, Sharif has a knack for phrases, reaching a kind of universality that appeals to people who like darker and bolder music. His words and imagery could be set to a blast beat and be just as at home if he were fronting a metal band. For example, take these two sets of lyrics:
Deify the heartland appeared / Don’t tell my secrets to the man upstairs
I’m disgusted by youth, unflustered from truth
Tainted tales surveyed youth upheld by a noose
and
Stay where you are, don’t get consumed
By what they created from sheer neglect
In denial of years and years of
Shattered souls
One is from Fatboi Sharif and Roper Williams‘ “Christ Corpse,” the other is from “Misanthrope” by classic death metal band Death. And it’s not just his words. Sharif’s haunting vocals—which dip into the lower registers, a baritone echoing from deep within the underworld, or hitting a high David Lynchian pitch—will scratch any doom, stoner or noise metal fan’s itch.
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If Kristin Hayer ever resurrects her Lingua Ignota persona, she could go on tour with Fatboi Sharif, and it would be such a cohesive experience. And his work would not be out of place in a playlist full of Sun Ra, SUNN O)))), SWANS or Throbbing Gristle.
Sharif Finds Chaos And Creativity Through Collaboration
He Brings His Friends Along For The Ride
The debate of “what is punk” will never end. But if you think punk is an ethos formed by creative collaboration and fostering a scene, Fatboi Sharif is the rapper for you. His discography is filled with collaborative projects: Decay with Steel Tipped Dove, Gandhi Loves Children with Roper Williams, Preaching in Havana with noface, and Psychedelics Wrote The Bible with Duncecap. He also releases most of these pieces on vinyl, short-run releases that harken back to the independent punk labels of the early 1980s.
And Fatboi Sharif makes sure that his producers get credit (I speak from experience: when I included Decay in my ‘Best Albums of 2023’ list, I mistakenly listed him as the solo artist. He informed me of the omission and ensured that Steel Tipped Dove’s name was listed alongside his.)
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“I love one producer, one lyricist albums,” he told music blog Grandma Sophia’s Cookies. “They’ve always had a special place for me; that cohesiveness is truly unmatched.” And Sharif embodies that ideal, ensuring that if he’s going to experience any success, those who also worked on the project will also get time in the spotlight.
His First Love Was Grunge
If you follow Fatboi Sharif on Instagram, you’ll see him share stories scored by bands like Unsane, Converge and other metal groups. The dude is a fan, especially of classic ’90s grunge essentials. “That’s still some of my favorite music ever,” he said in a Bandcamp Daily interview, name-checking Pearl Jam and Silverchair. “Even when I jumped all the way into hip-hop, that element never left me—all those classic albums and videos I grew up on.”
Fatboi Sharif loves rock and metal—and rock and metal fans should love Fatboi Sharif. Or, they should give his work, including his new album, Let Me Out, a listen. “The [rap] quality is so much better in the underground,” he told Every Déjà vu. “I believe the world is waking up to this, more and more each day. “
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