Alif Abdullah is a Singaporean-Malay singer, performer, songwriter, composer, and. He is better known as Alyph or Alif. Alif and his cousin Syarifullah/Syarif were part of the Singaporean hip hop and R&B duo SleeQ from 2005 to 2015.
Alyph’s story is impressive. He came from nothing and is now one of the most successful producers in Southeast Asia.
With one of Singapore’s most influential hip hop groups, SleeQ, he quickly established himself as a potent MC on the mic. And as a producer with a hit-making golden touch, blessing the music of a long list of icons.
Alyph was born into a musical and artistic family, and his passion for music was fueled by a life-changing encounter with the pioneering Malaysian hip hop duo, TooPhat. Seeing the energy and condenser on display when Too Phat performed on television demonstrated to ALYPH that hip hop had the potential to shape and inform local identity. It could be from home, about home, and meaningful to the people who live there.
Most of their songs, including ‘Untuk Dia‘ and ‘Cun Saja,‘ were written and produced by Alyph.
Alyph continued to compose music. He stayed in Malaysia to further his career until 2019 when he joined Def Jam Southeast Asia alongside Joe Flizzow, Yung Raja, and Fariz Jabba.
Alyph has only released a few mixtapes as a solo artist. His final single, ‘Buat Selamanya,’ was released in 2017. Alyp concentrated on collaborations, expanding his production portfolio, and connecting with Malaysian hip-who.
Alyph realised he needed to prioritise himself, which was terrifying and liberating.
This newfound freedom to rediscover oneself resulted in ‘Adakah Kau Mendengar?’ the first taste of ALYPH’s upcoming comeback album, ‘III/III.’ Before his debut album, the rapper plans to release a “three-pack” of projects in 2021. It’s a three-song project.
Alyph claims that he never creates “personal” music but that “mood always influences his tracks.” “Adakah Kau Mendengar?” was inspired by a pre-pandemic excursion from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, during which he traveled alone and stayed in hotel rooms before performing. He recalls an “emotional journey.”
The rapper is free from formula and constraints to push the boundaries of his craft here. Its story captures the insecurity of life, from feeling lost and disturbed to ecstasy and hysteria. Alyph refers to the song as a “sonic Instagram Story.” It is about what they are experiencing. Nothing is linear in life, he says.
Alif Abdullah’s mother passed away in 2016.
Within four months, he had lost his mother and gained a daughter.
When Alif’s mother died, he felt helpless. His mother was his rock, confidante, and source of strength.
Alana, Alif’s month-old daughter, was still three months away from meeting her nenek (grandmother in Malay).
His mother died on Feb. 16 of lung cancer.
Alif discovered his wife was pregnant while working in Kuala Lumpur.
He was in the studio and in the zone when his phone rang, so seeing the call irritated him. When he answered the phone, his wife showed him the positive pregnancy test.
He then flew to Singapore to be with her.
His life changed that day.
Self-Control by Frank Ocean is a song that Alyph associates with heartbreak.
Alyph was an outgoing person. He has so many friends from all walks of life, and he would gather all of them, and then they would just hang out. In the past, after years of traveling with a large group of people, he gradually became aware that things were becoming a little busier. Alyph began to learn how to do it on his own, how to move on his own.
