Breaking barriers in M'sian hip-hop

The Sun

25-06-2025

BREAKING the glass ceiling has often been necessary for Sharifah Zamaera Syed Zafilen Al Edros, popularly known as Zamaera in the local hip-hop community.
As one of the few prominent female rappers in Malaysia, the 30-year-old had to carve her own path while navigating the inequality of a male-dominated industry. But that did not prevent Zamaera from charting a course that challenges preconceptions of what a female rapper can achieve.
The Subang Jaya native has gone on to break new ground since emerging as the only female finalist in the 2016 Red Bull Blend Cypher rap battle. Upon making her debut with Helly Kelly, she opened for major artistes such as Masego, Sza and Vince Staples.
She was also the first artiste to headline a hip-hop show at Istana Budaya during the 2020 Asean-Korean Music Festival.
In 2023, she launched Southeast Asia's first all-female music festival Queendom Fest through her company Mean Malaya Entertainment.
More recently, she not only headlined 88Rising x Levi's first Road to Future Asian Music (FAM) show but also organised her first national tour – The Epiphany Tour.
The Road to FAM shows are a collaboration between record label 88rising and denim brand Levi's. Serving as the build-up for its finale Future Asian Music, the new series was created to highlight the next generation of Asian artistes.
The Epiphany Tour saw Zamaera performing in six states across the country – Kedah, Penang, Perak, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. Fresh from achieving these milestones, Zamaera spoke to theSun about carving out a singular and unique path to stardom.
What has the experience been like – going from the Red Bull Blend Cypher's rap battle to headlining 88Rising x Levi's Road to FAM festival and The Epiphany Tour?
That was almost nine years ago! I was 21 then and I was the only female in the whole circle. That experience set the tone for my career from then onwards.
At that time, female representation in hip-hop was far from many but I remember seeing Arabyrd, Kayda Aziz, Hunny Madu and Mizz Nina, and sharing a stage with a few of them at Raising The Bar.
I loved being put together with these other strong and creative female figures. And that goes hand in hand with my involvement with Road to FAM. Representing my country alongside other independent Asian artistes is exactly where I belong.
Was headlining a festival such as Road to FAM something on your vision board?
Most definitely! I have always wanted to collaborate with 88Rising since they signed artistes such as Rich Brian, Niki and Milli. I am a third culture kid, so coming from Southeast Asia (SEA) while being exposed to various cultures impacts my artistry and mentality as a whole.
Headlining ultimately assures me that I am exactly on the right path towards my future goals and dreams of representing Malaysia and SEA on an international stage and winning a Grammy.
What is something you took away from your time working on Road to FAM?
You have got to trust your team. I have been independent for such a long time that I am used to working on my own. But I have been building a great team and I had to learn how to let go and just focus on being creative.
I have also learned to not panic in a crisis. I remember we had a wardrobe malfunction about the third song in my live performance.
I could feel my top kind of slipping off but as the saying goes, 'The show must go on'. So, I just kept singing and rapping while announcing we were going through a wardrobe malfunction.
Fortunately, the crowd was supportive. There is something about being completely your own true self I believe people enjoy and respect.
Speaking of which, how did your Epiphany Tour go? Did everything go according to plan?
The whole Epiphany Tour came about based on something that did not go as planned. I had initially planned a Japan tour but it ended up being postponed. This was due to issues out of my control.
But my team and I had just returned from our month-long trip in the US. I just wanted to continue that intense spark of inspiration. I am glad that we made the tour happen because it was one of the best experiences that I went through.
I learned about each city and connected with like-minded artistes and entrepreneurs all while meeting fans. I could not be where I am without my fans and my amazing team.
What was the process like – putting everything together considering how tough it can be for local artistes?
It is extremely challenging. It challenges your mental fortitude, patience, focus and discipline. But most importantly, it is extremely humbling. You do not realise all the work that goes behind the scenes until you have done it.
The success of an event, a single release and an album launch is truly the combination of the art and the machine behind it that drives everything towards the pinnacle of exploration and breakthrough.
What else are you working towards?
I have many personally and professionally. I will let you in on one that is already in the works! I am currently working on my very first Asian tour. I am also collaborating with an international artiste that I have always wanted to work with. Stay tuned!
Will we be seeing you at the FAM Festival in Bangkok next month?
Yes, of course. I am so excited to be performing alongside all the talented SEA artistes and representing Malaysia of course. It is going to be the show of a lifetime.