Student rapper gains traction

Sabrina Alterman and Catherine Silvey / Feature Section / The USD Vista

Shaya Rouhifar balances academics and aspirations as he pursues a career in rap while studying at USD

While navigating the rigorous curriculum demanded by the University of San Diego, many students find it difficult to fit in standard extracurriculars, much less the creation and release of an extended play (EP) record on a major streaming platform like Soundcloud. However, USD sophomore Shaya Rouhifar seems to be managing the balance with both grace and style.

An Orange County native, Rouhifar balances his time between working toward his Marketing and Business Administration double major and spending almost every weekend in a Los Angeles recording studio. While these pursuits may seem unrelated, Rouhifar expressed desire to incorporate both of them in his future career.

“I want to use my business degree to start working at a record label,” Rouhifar said. “I want to learn everything I can right now. In the future I might want to produce music. I just bought a guitar and I’m trying to learn to sing from YouTube videos.”

Rouhifar developed a love for music at a young age, and started to experiment with his personal musical style in middle school.

“I started trying to make music in eighth grade,” Rouhifar said. “My cousin taught me how to rap. We would freestyle in the car. He was so much better than me that it drove me to keep being better.”

Additionally, Rouhifar expressed that a change in hip hop music led by modern artists inspired him to use music as a way to spread meaningful messages.

“I was always really into music but I couldn’t really relate to it until I heard current artists on the radio,” Rouhifar said. “They had real life issues and they were giving advice. Kid Cudi showed that it was okay to show emotion, and you didn’t really see that earlier on in hip hop. I want to help people through lyrics the way lyrics helped me.”

In connecting with the music and recognizing it as a channel for his passion and emotion, Rouhifar created an artist name rooted in the messages conveyed in his music.

“My name is Shaya Betterworld,” Rouhifar said. “My brother actually gave me it. It was my nickname in high school. My nickname captures what I want to do in music. I just want to make the world a better place. I want to inspire kids who were just like me. I want to show people that you don’t need to fit into a certain category. I am a college student with my own issues who goes through that. I think people would relate to me because I am just someone with a dream.”

When asked if he has experienced any struggles along the way of his musical journey, Rouhifar acknowledged not only the mental obstacles and doubts he has faced, but also the methods he has used to keep his mind in the right place.

“I always have a thought of, ‘Can it be better? Am I conveying messages that are meaningful?’” Rouhifar said. “I want everything that I put out to have a message. I want to always use my platform to do something important. I remind myself that I will always have stuff that I can work on but need to keep my head up. I shouldn’t battle myself. If it’s not constructive criticism, I shouldn’t listen to it. It took me a long time of second-guessing myself, but I focus on having myself on my side.”

Rouhifar also noted the impact that his family’s support has had on his work, and how it motivates him to continue in his passion.

“My parents are incredibly supportive,” Rouhifar said. “Once they found out how serious I was about music but I still wanted to put college first, they became my number-one fans. My dad has helped me get equipment. My brother and cousin hype me up and talk about me to their friends.”

In addition, Rouhifar cites the genuine love he has for music as motivation to keep working hard.

“My dad always tells me, ‘Eight hours of sleep, eight hours of work, eight hours of recreation,’” Rouhifar said. “So when I’m done with school work, I only want to do music. And I love it. I don’t force myself to do it.”

Rouhifar’s journey as an artist is ultimately a reflection of one of his strongest messages– “Don’t let your dreams die…you can balance dreams and reality.” Pairing his studies at USD with his natural talent and love of music has paved the way for Rouhifar’s success, allowing him to pursue both his education and his passion while building a career in the music industry.