Black Sherif listed in the 2022 YouTube Foundry Class

The Foundry Class of 2022, composed of 30 independent musicians from 15 different nations around the world, was just revealed by YouTube Music. The largest class to date this year includes performers from a variety of genres and career phases, including two African acts, Black Sherif from Ghana and Joeboy from Nigeria.

Since its inception in 2015, the Foundry programme has supported 250 independent artists in their quest to establish long-lasting careers on their own terms. A few of the brilliant musicians who graduated from the programme are Arlo Parks, beabadoobee, Dave, Dua Lipa, Clairo, ENNY, Eladio Carrion, girl in red, Gunna, Japanese Breakfast, Kenny Beats, Natanael Cano, Omar Apollo, Rema, Rina Sawayama, ROSALA, Saba, Snail Mail, Tems, and Tenille Arts. Foundry musicians are regarded as the future generation of entertainers and are known for their inventive musical styles and storytelling abilities.

YouTube Artist Partnerships Lead, Naomi Zeichner shared, “It’s no small task to be an artist in 2022, working to find stability, fulfillment, and fans who get it. Foundry celebrates the courage of independent artists and the communities that surround them. Our global team is lucky to be their champion and reduce barriers on their journey, every step of the way.”

The 2022 Foundry Class affirms YouTube’s dedication to helping Sub-Saharan artists become the next generation of global music stars and to fostering local talent. The Foundry programme, which this year will power two programmes, the Foundry Class of 2022 and the independent release support, ensures that musicians can be independent and still have a great career in music with the help of platforms like YouTube.

Joeboy said, “Being an independent artist simply requires me to be at the center of all of my dealings as a creative. Aside from creating the music, I have to carry out due diligence to make sure I am making the right decisions every now and then.”

SSA YouTube Music Lead, Addy Awofisayo shared, “We believe that lowering the barrier to entry that unlocks opportunities for music artists to create and connect with a global audience is crucial. But beyond that, Foundry will assist the music artists participants in navigating a new increasingly digital industry as they connect with fans and generate revenue.”

Foundry is made for independent artists who want to succeed on their own and who need assistance navigating the challenges of the modern music business. When developing content, YouTube offers partner strategy advice, marketing promotion, and seed cash that may be utilised for everything from trying out new music to experimenting with different video creation forms.

On his part, Black Sherif added, “Black Sherif said, “Success as an independent artist is connecting with one more person on any level through my music. Once that is constantly achieved, in my opinion, everything else will follow. Being a Foundry artist for me means a strong global platform with support to visually take my expression to the next level and reach more people in the process.”

Below is the full list of the Foundry Class of 2022: