Abubakar Baker Shariff-Farr (born 12 February 1994), better known as Bakar, is a British singer, songwriter and model. Known for his experimental indie rock style, he made his professional solo debut with the mixtape Badkid in May 2018, subsequently releasing the extended play Will You Be My Yellow? in September 2019.
Early life
Bakar grew up in Camden in North London, and attended a state school before being sent to a boarding school in Surrey by his mother. He expressed that "going outside of London and hearing other tastes and how that can relate to [him], it definitely did something to [him]."
Artistry and other ventures
Musical influences cited by Bakar include Madlib and Foals. He has described his music as "schizophrenic", and said that he attempts to "bridge the gap" between different music genres. Ones to Watch described his style as a "melting pot of indie, rap, rock, and punk".
Bakar has also modelled as part of Virgil Abloh's debut runway show for Louis Vuitton In February 2019. In November 2019, he modelled for Prada's "A Gift to Give" campaign alongside models Pixie Geldof and Sara Blomqvist.
Reception
Joe Goggins of DIY compared Bakar's vocal style to that of Kele Okereke from Bloc Party. Alex McFayden of Clash also compared his sound to that of Bloc Party. Ashleigh Kane of Crack Magazine deemed him as "indie's revivalist". Bakar's style has been noted as a progressive shift from the 'stale' sound of British rock in the late 2010s. Bakar has received endorsements from artists like Skepta, Elton John and fashion designer Virgil Abloh.