by MangaMoon

Sheck Wes

Remember… Sheck Wes’s “Mo Bamba,” the track that turned its title into a worldwide chant? Behind that name is his childhood friend, basketball player Mohamed Bamba. Bamba frequently asked Sheck to mention him in a song. Eventually, his name became the title of an entire track — and a request between friends became central to Sheck’s biggest hit. But basketball and fashion also played important roles in his life. Before becoming widely known as a rapper, Sheck tried modeling and appeared in Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3 show. He even missed a high school basketball playoff game to participate. Faced with two very different stages that day, he chose the runway. His relationship with music started much earlier: he was already writing at nine or ten, and by eleven he was performing with The MillYorkers under the name Kid Khadi. Behind the seemingly sudden success of “Mo Bamba” were years of childhood experimentation. A basketball-playing friend, his school team, a fashion show, and an early music group all became connected parts of his story.

Material: wooden