Biography
Sjaak (Real name Mehdi Chafi) is one of The Netherland's most well-known artists. He is a rapper, singer, actor, songwriter and media personality, who moves effortlessly between different cultural scenes and age groups, between different music styles (from hard-hitting hip-hop to commercial party songs) and between media such as Instagram, Tik Tok, cinema, TV and radio. He uniquely succeeds in combining street credibility with commercial finesse, with the help of a huge dose of humor.
In recent years, Sjaak has become a household name in Dutch media. He had major acting roles in films such as "De Belofte Van Pisa" "Costa" and "Oei, ik groei", starred in TV series, such as "Herres" and he caused a stir in the spring of 2024 with his role as Tabaka in the Amazon Prime series "Rwina" by "New Kids" director Flip Van Der Kuijl.
Sjaak's unique comedy skills made him a true TV, radio and online phenomenon. His hilarious videos often go viral on Instagram and Tik Tok and he is a frequent guest on many online and TV/radio shows. He was a contestant in "The Celebrity Apprentice", participated in "Jachtseizoen", "Lingo", and was a guest in "De gevaarlijkste wegen" (with pop star Maan).
Thanks to his activities, Sjaak tours the Benelux almost non-stop. With his live shows, for which he collaborates with a DJ and a supporting MC, Sjaak reaches hundreds of thousands of fans on stages of festivals, in clubs and at major media events on an annual basis.
Sjaak spent his childhood on the streets of Amsterdam. Sjaak is always very open about the street life he lived back then. He made the wrong choices, had some run-ins with the law a very young age and, as a child of Moroccan parents, struggled to find his place in the Netherlands.
He started making music in a local youth center and this led to him recording one of the most notorious Dutch gangster rap classics of all time in 2007; "Schijt" with rapper Appa. "Schijt" and its accompanying video caused a huge stir in Dutch media, as politicians began to complain about the hardcore lyrics and the brutal depiction of street life in the video.
This breakthrough enabled Sjaak to develop his musical career far beyond gangster rap. He released albums on top Dutch labels such as SPEC and Top Notch, was one of the founders of live sensation "Strijder Systeem" and had a series of party hits over the years in collaboration with artists such as PartySquad, JeBroer, La$$a, Tony Junior and Bizzey.
In 2018, Sjaak scored the huge hit "Step by Step" with Kav Verhouzer. This house music-infused party song scored over 26 million Spotify streams and more than 7 million views on YouTube alone.
Sjaak surpassed this huge hit with "Trompetisto", which reached platinum status and was released worldwide via Sony/Laser. "Trompetisto" now has more than 40 million streams on Spotify and the hilarious video for "Trompetisto" (with Jack in the mountains of Austria), scored close to 7 million views on YouTube! Sjaak's latest album "Sjaak In The House" (2022) went gold within a week of release.
Sjaak's natural charm with a dark edge, and his cultural crossover power, has made him ideal for collaborations with brands. For example, he showed his love for animals in a collaboration with Google Nest, his high-class lifestyle with a campaign for Jack Daniel's, his musical comedy side with a campaign for Autodrop, he was featured in a campaign for Toto of the National Lottery and was featured in a major campaign for Heineken.
Sjaak's private life is as quiet as his creative life is hectic. He moved from Amsterdam to a small village in the east of the Netherlands, where he lives with his wife and young daughter. There he enjoys horse riding and relaxing in the beautiful country side.
