Nothing in sobhhï’s background suggests that he would become the #1 hip-hop and R&B artist out of Dubai, as well as a rising international star. While growing up in a peripatetic household, sobhhï bounced around the US with his parents before ending up at UC Berkely for his undergrad. He graduated at 21 and started his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago studying applied mathematics, because, of course, applied mathematics and hazy, dreamscape hip-hop and R&B go hand in hand. With his academic life in the rearview, sobhhï is creating music, videos, and designing his label Nuit Sans Fin. A true 21st-century savant.
The following interview has been lightly edited.
What influences you right now? Historically, what has influenced you?
Lately, it’s been the rediscovery of some mid to late 2010’s R&B. I’ve been digging through old SoundCloud likes and some stuff on Tumblr. It takes me back to a time where things felt a lot less commercial than they do now.
Historically, my influences have been centralized around design and aesthetics. Designers like Dieter Rams and Jony Ive can give you a feeling about a design that goes beyond the item’s basic function. In music, when I write or compose, it’s not just about creating something auditory that’s euphonic—the function. It’s about embedding a visual inside the music, channeling something visceral that feels real—the feeling. It’s like being on a humid balcony at sunset or in a dimly lit penthouse.
What’s the most underrated?
Minimalism.
What’s the most overrated?
Uniformity. Being this up close and personal with the business side of the music industry, you see a lot of repetition. It’s the same formula being applied over and over again on the creative side and the marketing side.
What are you most excited about right now?
COVID coming to an end—hopefully—and being able to travel freely once again. I, and the whole Nuit Sans Fin team, have some big plans coming for a potential tour, new additions to the clothing line, and some other interesting secret projects.
What are you most excited about right now?
PLEASURES, a collaborative EP I did with some of my most talented friends. In this project, I had the chance to revisit my old sound and craft visuals that set a new bar for me aesthetically.
Bonus Question: You were recently ranked as the #1 streamed R&B artist in the UAE, and one of the top artists coming out of the Middle East, any genre. What does that mean to you? How would you describe the interconnection of geography, data, and culture in your music and your popularity?
Being #1 is a title I carry proudly and, even more so, gratefully. I’m lucky to have so many enthusiastic supporters that feel like it’s “us” and not just me. The interconnection of cultures in my music is best observed when you look at who’s consuming it: a wildly eclectic and cosmopolitan group of people that are happy to exchange and celebrate culture, experiences, and their interpretation of the art.
