#33: Micro-Interview w/ Sahn

By Bilal Mohamed

and

Feb 09, 2024

Bilal Mohamed, (Los Angeles) having completed a morning hike amidst a temporary pause in the the SoCal rain showers, settles on a ledge with a notebook and connects with Sahn (Minneapolis) via FaceTime. Sahn, despite just waking up, is lively and spirited as ever, gearing up for the interview transcribed below.

The conversation traverses many tangents, and the Q&A below features but a small portion of the conversation that took place… Enjoy.

Your IG name is “whoissahn”, so who is Sahn?

A multidisciplinary artist who makes music. A student of the arts.

More than I create, I try to research as much as I can and that causes me to look within myself, and ask, “who am I?”.

You put out a new project recently called Devons Road and naturally, I thought that was a block in Minneapolis. What’s that about?

Devons road is a community in London. Its not a hood. In the UK they have these small communities that span about 10 square miles. For the project cover, I took a picture of this landscape and turned it into a painting.

Did London really have such an effect on you that you had to make a project about it?

Yeah man I walked to that train station (Devons Road) everyday. And it had such an effect on me because it was my first time really being alone abroad.

Everything there felt so familiar. There were people walking around in thobes and kufis, you would hear the athan out loud on the street… it felt like Minnesota. It felt like Cedar.

What was different about it?

I got to see and meet creative people who were really keeping their heads down and just doing work. I stayed in this three-story apartment with five roommates. On one floor was a filmmaker directing films, another was a photographer doing shoots with soccer clubs, another was making magazines, who while I was there, was working with Bktharula.

Midwest or Cali?

When you live in the midwest, you’re more prepared for the world. There are 1,000 different cultures here, and when you travel around, you end up seeing the same things. I’ve grown up with Mexicans, Natives, Africans, Asians, and when I left, that’s when I realized, “I’ve met you before.”

Are you someone who changes a lot? Be it your perspective, decisions, or mindset?

Three days before I put out my recent project, I took it down and added a song to it. I change my ideas so quickly, because things are always changing, but it comes from a place of trust in the Qadr (predestination of God.) In these terms I’m okay with tweaking things to enhance myself and my work.

But with people who change often and drastically, I find that to be a flaw. For example, say you came up with an idea 2 months ago and have been working on it, then when you are about to release, you make a new song that is different. Some people will go and scrap the whole project they’d been working on because the flow has changed in their new work. I avoid doing that, because it shows you can’t stick to something.

Is that something you have to wrestle with often?

I was about to not put this project out. My bro who listened to it told me its a great project, and I said “I got so much better in store.” But still, I felt I had to put it out.

The tough thing about being an artist is that you can’t get all your ideas out at once.

My friend Rohit, who DJ’s and produces videos, in front and behind the camera, put it perfectly - “Sahn you can have everything, just not all at once.”

What would Sahn be doing in an alternate universe?

Studying the brain. It can really be your best friend or your worst enemy.

Sahn sitting in reference point 180 planning his show by Life.

Sahn’s Philosophy on Art, Humanity, Love, and Faith

ART

Art is an escape from reality for when reality might be a little too much. Whether that is a painting, an album, or clothing, I believe that humans cannot live without it. It is the heartbeat of culture.

HUMANITY

I love people bro… like I LOVE people. Regardless of ill intent, social anxiety, or whatever, I find myself embracing every person. I see myself in everybody. I don’t think I want to like everybody, but I do love humans because we can all relate. It’s like, “Nigga you built like me,” and that’s why I’m able to make this music that connects with people.

LOVE

In most of my songs, I’m talking about a girl. And with every single one, (not that theres a lot), whether I’m discussing love in the form of partners, family, or something else, I find that I’m now embracing it more because its so powerful. The people and things you love can make you the best or worst version of yourself. Love is like something that fools your brain and stops you from thinking right. Its the strongest drug of all time, so I use it as a weapon against my desires. You can love what is good for you. You don’t gotta love whats bad for you.

FAITH

At times when I didn’t have faith, I still had Islam. I still knew of tawheed (oneness of God). I tried to pray even though I was never taught how. Its the greatest thing in life. The greatest gift from God. If I didn’t have Islam I don’t know where I would be. In Mecca, I saw thousands of people every day, and we stood for the same thing. I’d look to them right and left, and even though we didn’t speak each other’s languages, we both would just look at the Kaaba and at each other and say, “Alhamdulilah”.

Did Mecca exceed your expectations?

You don’t even remember what your expectations are when you land in Mecca. You feel like you just shedded a layer of skin. Everything is a new experience so you can’t have expectations. When you see the Kaaba for the first time, it’s like you’re actually transcending. I can’t put it into words. It’s like you and your faith became one.

What are your thoughts on material things?

I don’t care for all the gold and glitter. I don’t care to show off my tabi boots, the whip, or the new getup. I mostly just care about my position with God for the rest of my life, that Allah is good with me. Like, if Allah gives you the Porsche, cool. But we’ve got something SO much better.

People who have shaped you?

My mom, w/ tremendous respect to my stepdad. My mom is the strongest person in my life. She’s not an artist but her medium of choice is a camera. She is the first archivest I ever met. With every snap of a picture there is a memory created. She made it a commandment from Allah to document our lives, because nobody documented hers. She showed me how many times you could fall and get back up.

First memory of the beginning of Sahn?

When I was 5, our apartment had a national night out in August. They offered anyone $20 to come up and sing karaoke. There was no age limit. It was a come up, you know, if I wanted that new BeyBlade, Bakugan, whatever, that was my chance. I grabbed the mic and performed Justin Bieber’s “Baby”, and I felt so comfortable. I loved the performing, and its because of that experience that its the only thing I could say I was destined for.

Young Sahn sings “Baby” by Justin Bieber. Photo by hooyo.

Have you ever forgotten your lyrics on stage?

Would you believe me if I told you I knew every lyric I ever wrote and haven’t wrote yet?

Sahn at Reference Point 180 performing. Photo by ieflare.

How do you deal with the conflict of music and Islam?

The type of music I make, I pray and hope, won’t be heavy on my scales. The reason I am content with my music is because theres a thousand things I need in my life. This is the reason I make introspective music and not something of an ode to the culture.

I ask myself often, “Did I make this person’s life worse by sharing my music?” I look at my lyrics as conversations, not as party music. And for that I pray Allah opens my heart towards coming to a clearer answer. The issue is not a square, its a sphere, so its hard to wrap my head around it.

If I see someone drunk at my concert though, that may make me put the mic down. I hate drugs.

Also note: Recovery WORKS, just want to say that.

Sahn Staples?

Krave Cereal
Sprite
FL Studio
The color black
Camera Phone
Basketball

Something on your mind as of late?

Fitness.

Can you swim?

I can swim AND whistle.

Sunrise or Sunset?

Midnight.

Shoutout?

Shoutout my sister Misky. She’s my rock as well. I should’ve listened to her more in the past. I would always do something that she told me not to do and it would end up bad.

I’m not naive, just stubborn. I love her.

How do you maintain optimism in today’s world?

If I didn’t have faith I’d probably be losing my mind and sending pigeons into the pentagon. There are things that I can’t change, and you can’t change, it was just the decree of Allah. I’d say we’ve been dealt some of the hardest cards in history, but as long as have God, we will be fine.

Also, Free Palestine. Put that on the record.

One thing you want to leave us with?

Pray.