Sheff G

“I got my name from being in the streets; I’m not cooking food,” Sheff G declares. He speaks with conviction and a proud New York dialect. Raised in a crowded Flatbush apartment with three generations of family Sheff always knew he was destined for more. Looking back, he remembers the good times in the home, as well as out in the streets. Memories of block parties, fire-hydrant sprinklers, and elders buying ice cream for the kids color a sense of community. Sheff was particularly close with a cousin five years his senior. That family member, now incarcerated, appears on the intro to “Feel A Way.” He introduced Sheff to Rap, playing Biggie. “I always wanted to be like him,” the rapper recalls of his mentor.

Although he listened to Rap, making music was never part of Sheff’s plan. He had local notoriety as a flashy figure in the streets. However, in his teens, the competitive spirit fueled him to lay some verses. “I just wanted to put us on the map,” he says of Flatbush. “Blowing up was like a dream, so we didn’t start believing in it until it happened. Then it was just like, ‘Whoa. We gotta really do this.’” The juggernaut was the video single, “No Suburban.” Almost immediately, Sheff recalls hearing his song blasting out of cars and houses up and down the blocks of town. “Everybody was doing their thing; we were the last hood to start,” he recalls.” Other parts of Brooklyn would be throwing shots at everyone.” Although outsiders may not have noticed, these viral song lyrics were territorial. Just like on the block, Sheff G and his team wanted the last word. Almost 6 million views later, they got it.

Since his 2017 breakthrough, the business-minded Sheff G co-founded Winner’s Circle Entertainment, which also includes collaborator Sleepy Hallow. He also built on the momentum. “Flows,” “Automatic” and his four-part “Panic” series each crossed the seven-figure mark. “We started doing videos on the blocks and the corners,” he says. “People liked to see what we’re talking about; it’s like a movie to them.” Musically, Sheff bonded with the honest aggression of Drill. “G Herbo and the guys from Chicago made it seem like we could all make it. What Herb’ was talking about, we were living. It made us believe.” Applying Brooklyn slang, fashion, and geography, Sheff is part of a class that adopted that sound. “Kids are gonna listen to my music the same way I was listening to them,” he notes. “They’re gonna see how music is helping me get to where I want to go in life. Plus, I’m helping my family and those around me do it too.”

In a short time, Sheff G reinvigorated the city’s music scene with an energetic spirit and introspective lyrics. Ready to prove himself all over again with 2020’s One And Only, Sheff’s just getting started.