Arif Zahir

Last updated

Arif Zahir
Born
Arif Zahir Lopes-Thrower [1]

(1994-04-15) April 15, 1994 (age 30) [2]
Berkeley, California, U.S.
Other names
  • Azerrz
  • 4rif
Alma mater Hussian College (Didn't finish) [3]
Occupations
  • Actor
  • musician
  • internet personality
Years active2007–present
Musical career
Genres
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2007–present
Genres
Subscribers
  • 7.17 million (Azerrz)
  • 191K (4rif)
Total views
  • 794 million (Azerrz)
  • 8.8 million (4rif)
YouTube Silver Play Button 2.svg100,000 subscribers2015 (Azerrz) • 2019 (4rif)
YouTube Gold Play Button 2.svg1,000,000 subscribers2017 (Azerrz)
Last updated: March 11, 2021

Arif Zahir Lopes-Thrower (born April 15, 1994) is an American actor, musician, and internet personality. His YouTube channel, Azerrz, has over 7 million subscribers [4] and features voice impressions of a plethora of celebrities and cartoon characters. Since 2021, Zahir has succeeded Mike Henry as the voice of Cleveland Brown on the television series Family Guy . [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Zahir is of African-American and Cape Verdean descent and was born on April 15, 1994, in Berkeley, California. He was partially raised in New Bedford, Massachusetts where he attended Nativity Preparatory School and Keith Middle School before moving back to California in 2007. [6]

Zahir began doing voice impressions in middle school to impress his classmates. He originally made a YouTube channel in 2007 which focused on performing magic tricks. [7] After doing so and finding success he started attending Hussian College's campus in Los Angeles. He later dropped out to spend more time focusing on his YouTube career. [3]

Career

Zahir created his YouTube channel in 2012 but posted his first video in 2013. [4] [8] He started out by posting comedic sketches, gaming videos, and videos of himself performing voice impressions of both cartoon characters and real celebrities. [5] [9] [10] Zahir garnered initial success through his voice impressions which he started doing in 2011. [11] [12] [13] One of the first voices Zahir did was of Cleveland Brown, whom he would go on to voice several years later. [14] [15] [16]

Zahir landed his first acting role playing a character named Arif in the short film No One But Lydia. Starting in 2018, he became a recurring cast member on How It Should Have Ended voicing Black Panther / T'Challa. [17] Through community challenges and his first viral hit with "Ted Plays Call of Duty" (which has over 20M+ views), Arif quickly grew his channel to over 6.5+ million subscribers and 650+ million views. [18]

He is also a rapper and singer and releases music under the moniker 4rif. [19] He released his debut album At Last Sight on August 30, 2019. [20] He followed it up with an EP called Go Gadget/Blues Clues which was released on April 29, 2020, in collaboration with rapper Dlngqnt. [21]

On June 26, 2020, Mike Henry, who had voiced Cleveland Brown since 1999, announced he was stepping down and believed a person of color should voice the role. [22] On September 25, 2020, it was announced that Zahir would be voicing Cleveland starting in Season 20 of Family Guy . [5]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014No One But LydiaArifShort film; credited as Arif Lopes
2016EraserDeathShort film; credited as Arif Lopes
The Invisible ShadowThe Bagged ManShort film; credited as Arif Lopes
2017Everyone But MeAndre [23] Short film
Hues and Hidden KingsA Hidden KingShort film
2019The Golden Realm: An American Larping ExperiencePeter, KalthorShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016CliffhangerTed3 episodes
2018G.P.A.Xander Holland [24] 4 episodes [25] [26] [27] [28]
2018–present How It Should Have Ended [17] Black Panther / T'Challa 3 episodes; voice role [29] [30] [31]
2019Internet RichHimself1 episode
2020Party Chat [32] Arif [33] Web series; also producer [34]
2020 VENN: Arcade Live [35] HimselfEpisode "Voice Impressions with Azerrz + WWE Superstar Zelina Vega Throw Down" [36]
2021–present Family Guy [37] [38] [39] Cleveland Brown [40] [41] [42] Voice role; main role, replaced Mike Henry starting in season 20 after he stepped down [43] [5] [44]
2021RockyClubber [45] Voice role
2022 American Dad! Reginald1 episode; voice role
Robot Chicken Nelson Mandela 1 episode; voice role

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018No Way Out – A Dead Realm TaleEdgar, William Huxley, librarian, ClownVoice roles

Music videos

YearSongArtistRoleDirector
2018Down the Line [46] Lokl YoklThe BartenderRyan Rosenblum
Drunk With You [47] Joe Thomas Carter featuring 4rifHimselfZane Morrow
2019August [48] 4rifFowluh
Gimme Ya Lovin' [49] [50] Joe Thomas Carter featuring 4rifChristina Xing
2020At Last Sight/Kids [51] 4rif
The Window [52] Ryan Rosenblum

Discography

Albums

List of albums
TitleDetails
At Last Sight
  • Released: August 30, 2019 [20]
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Extended plays

List of extended plays
TitleEP details
Go Gadget/Blues Clues(with DLNQNT)
  • Released: April 29, 2020 [53]
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming
Venture
  • Releasing: 2021 or 2022 [54] [55]
  • Formats: Digital download, streaming

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles as lead artist

TitleYearAlbum
"August" [56] 2018At Last Sight
"Summers End" [57] 2019Non-album single
"Wonderful Miracle" [58] At Last Sight
"Channel Lovely" [59]
"Go Gadget" (with DLNQNT) [60] 2020Go Gadget/Blues Clues [61]
"Blues Clues" (with DLNQNT) [60]
"Favorite Girl" [62] TBA
"Ignore Me" [63] TBA
"Cafe in LA" [64] 2021TBA
"Leave Me (August II)" [65] TBA
"Note to Me" [66] 2022TBA

As featured artist

List of singles as featured artist

TitleYearAlbum
"Hope County" (NerdOut featuring 4rif and Legiqn) [67] 2018Year 3
"Drunk With You" (Joe Thomas Carter featuring 4rif) [68] Non-album single
"Gimme Ya Lovin'" (Joe Thomas Carter featuring 4rif) [49] 2019Non-album single
"G League"(DLNQNT featuring 4rif) [69] DZJNTD Vol. 1 – DNT PLY

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References

  1. ↑ "Venn Guest Azerrz". www.venn.tv. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved December 16, 2020.
  2. ↑ Zahir, Arif (April 15, 2020). "Happy birthday babyyyy @Azerrz". Twitter. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Schneider, Michael (October 14, 2020). "How 'Family Guy' Newcomer Arif Zahir Landed His Big Break as the New Cleveland Brown". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Azerrz's YouTube Stats (Summary Profile) – Social Blade Stats". socialblade.com. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Schneider, Michael (September 25, 2020). "'Family Guy' Casts YouTube Star Arif Zahir as the New Voice of Cleveland Brown". Variety. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
  6. ↑ Paleologos, Phil (October 28, 2020). "New Bedford Native the New Voice of Cleveland Brown [Phil-osophy]". 1420 WBSM. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
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  46. ↑ "Lokl Yokl – Down the Line". www.youtube.com. December 5, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  47. ↑ "Joe Thomas Carter – Drunk With You Ft. Arif (Official Music Video)". www.youtube.com. May 11, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  48. ↑ "4rif – August (Official Music Video)". www.youtube.com. April 15, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  49. 1 2 "Gimme Ya Lovin': Christina Xing's homage to Chaplin for Joe Thomas Carter's new music video". www.adolescent.net. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
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  54. ↑ ""@Azerrz where's the next album/EP bro? I'm listening to roses and I'm getting hype for the next release!🔥🔥" "2021"". Twitter. December 10–11, 2020. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
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  56. ↑ August – Single by 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
  57. ↑ Summers End – Single by 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
  58. ↑ Wonderful Miracle – Single by 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
  59. ↑ Channel Lovely (Radio Version) – Single by 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
  60. 1 2 Go Gadget/Blues Clues – Single by DLNQNT & 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
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  62. ↑ Favorite Girl – Single by 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
  63. ↑ Ignore Me – Single by 4rif , retrieved February 2, 2021
  64. ↑ Cafe in LA - Single by 4rif , retrieved March 11, 2021
  65. ↑ Leave Me (August II) - Single by 4rif , retrieved September 22, 2021
  66. ↑ Note To Me - Single by 4rif, July 8, 2022, retrieved July 13, 2022
  67. ↑ "Hope County (feat. Azerrz & Legiqn) by NerdOut". Apple Music. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  68. ↑ Drunk With You (feat. Arif) – Single by Joe Thomas Carter , retrieved February 2, 2021[ permanent dead link ]
  69. ↑ G League (feat. 4rif) by DLNQNT , retrieved February 2, 2021
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