Shawnna - Flashpoint Grafix

ROCK IT
BEFORE YOU’RE TOLD TO
D
ISTURBING
DTP’S SHAWNNA STIRS UP THE SOUTH
TEXT BY JOEL MARASIGAN
PHOTOS BY RON CADIZ
Every rap crew has its shining princess. It’s
Fergie in the Black Eyed Peas and it’s Lil’ Kim for
Junior Mafia. Producers like Jermaine Dupri and
Timbaland use Da Brat and Missy, respectively.
But it’s Shawnna, from Ludacris’ DTP (Disturbing
the Peace) camp, that’s next in line to take the
crown and and run with it.
The Chi-Town native isn’t new to rap. In 1999,
paired opposite female-rapper Lateefa, she was
half of Infamous Syndicate. Ludacris called her
to the table and she was thrown into the spotlight. Her hot look and surefire talent—not to
mention her down-to-earth attitude—has a lot
to do with that leap.
2NR: What are some of your inspirations?
S: My dad is my main inspiration.
2NR: Your dad is a four-time Grammy award winning blues guitarist! Blues and rapping are two
different genres. Were there any complaints
from him?
S: Yes. He said, “There goes all that money I
done made trying to send you to a good college”—his exact words. He knew I was serious
because I didn’t care what he was saying. I
was passionate about it and he started to
give me recognition. He took me under his
wing when ‘Cris (Ludacris) had asked me to
do a song with Mariah Carey. My dad asked
questions and recommended lawyers. I guess
it opened his eyes and made him think
maybe it wasn’t just violent rap.
2NR: Has he seen or heard any of your lyrics?
S: He didn’t care for them. When I told him I
wanted to rap it was around the time of Biggie
and ‘Pac. He saw this whole East versus West
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ROCK IT
BEFORE YOU’RE TOLD TO
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MAKE-UP BY DESIREE DIGGS; HAIR BY LESLIE COLE; STYLING BY STEPHANIE MILLER
battle. He was scared that his baby girl was
going into a violent area of the industry instead
of playing an instrument or singing or dancing
or acting. He was waiting to see if I was going
to change my mind and try to go to college.
2NR: College? What would you have taken if
you went?
S: Forensic Science.
2NR: Like CSI?
S: Yes.
2NR: Eww.
S: It’s not that I like dead bodies. That’s the
irony. I don’t like dead bodies, but I like challenges. I like that a forensic expert can look at a
person or a scene of evidence and tell you what
happened without being there.
2NR: Describe your type of rap.
S: My style is very aggressive. A lot of times I
feel like I throw women off because it’s not frilly
or dainty. It’s a tomboyish, in-your-face style. I’m
not into concepts, but if the music makes me
feel a certain way, I’ll tell a story. If I hear a track
and I feel it being in a club, I rap about that; if I
feel it being bumped in a car, I’ll do that. I let the
music lead the way for me.
2NR: Who would you like to work with, aside
from Biggie or Tupac?
S: Hmmm. Janet Jackson. She’s kinda sexy, edgy
and fun. I think we could mess up a club from a
pop/hip hop point of view. And, I like to dance.
2NR: Your 7-year-old son will have the stigma of
having a hot mom. You’re gonna be all over the
music channels.
S: I think that’s cool now. What’s that song?
“Stacy’s Mom.” I can be a Stacy’s mom.
2NR: Are you single?
S: Yeah!
2NR: Are you looking?
S: Not right now. When I get into a relationship I
put a lot into it. I’ll get distracted form my work.
I want to solidify my career. I don’t want to get
caught up with things that don’t matter.
2NR: You could pick anyone you want now.
S: I’m pretty secure with what I have. I have
two kids, so I’ve been to the extreme of hating men. I’m not too anxious about relationships right now. In this industry you have to
be very careful about who you’re seen with.
For example: Nelly and I could go to lunch. The
media would say we we’re “together.” I’m
careful. I won’t hang out too late with the
guys. I won’t do things that invite rumors of
promiscuity. My kids won’t wake up one
morning and read an article like that.
2NR: Do you have some idea of the ideal guy?
S: I like athletes because they take care of
themselves and they’re sculpted. And I don’t
like rappers. Being in an all-male crew lets me
see the legend of the groupie first hand. <In a
Jamacian accent> I can tell you many, many
versions of the legend of the groupie!
2NR: Well, athletes are the same way. There’s
one in the news right now!
S: You don’t see bras being thrown on the on
the basketball court. You’ll see bras and panties
being thrown on stage.
2NR: You’ll have to pick a doctor or a lawyer—or
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let your dad choose.
S: I guess nobody’s good.
2NR: What are your three rules of business?
S: Number one: Keep your legs closed. Number
two: Don’t just be a rapper—be an attorney, an
A&R, a producer. What I mean is be inquisitive.
Ask questions so you can always learn. Third:
Have fun. Don’t forget it all boils down to you
and your happiness. This is the decision you
made, so have fun with it.
2NR: If Ludicris hadn’t picked you up, what
would your key to making it be?
S: I’m blessed to have Luda, but if he wasn’t
here, I would still be on a label somewhere. I’ve
got kids to feed.
2NR: Let’s move on to Infamous Syndicate.
S: I opened for Junior Mafia. That was the first
show I did.
2NR: Lyricist Lounge is known for pulling
together some of the best, unsigned artists out
there and you’ve done some Lyricist Lounge
stuff. That tells me you are not only a lyricist
but you also have an image that sells.
S: Yes we did.
2NR: What do you expect to bring to hip hop?
S: I hope to bring a rebirth to hip hop. Hip hop
today is at a stand still. We don’t really have a
direction. We don’t really have any icons.
People are just throwing songs out right now
and hoping they catch on. It has to go back to
the roots; there has to be a rebirth. Then we’ll
have a foundation and it will give us somewhere to go.
2NR: I think that’s happening with the new
releases by Beastie Boys and KRS-One.
S: Exactly. I’m glad to see hip hop going back. I
definitely want to be someone instrumental in
that process.
2NR: “Worth the Weight” is the new solo project. How is that a move from Infamous
Syndicate?
S: It’s exciting and scary. I.S. was like a security
blanket. I could always let my partner take over.
When I was on stage she took over while I
caught my breath. If the album flopped, it wasn’t all my fault—we both made a mistake. Going
solo, I’ve got to be responsible for everything. I
can’t mess up.
2NR: Would you consider helping other
unsigned artists?
S: I’m really into that. To me that’s where rap
came from.
2NR: You’re 26, and in your teens you’d probably listened to artists like Tupac and Biggie.
How far does your hip hop really go back?
S: Music is in my blood. I was young when hip
hop first started. It was people like Bambaataa,
Kurtis Blow, and Run DMC. When Rap City first
aired, hip hop took a strong hold. I’m from
Chicago, so what we heard was house music.
All hip hop was really underground.
2NR: Did house music influence your art?
S: I have a house version of “Shake That” and
I’m going to be doing mixtape stuff with some
of the house Djs. A lot of artists try do a dance
version with a reggae tone. I want to do house
with reggae or blues with hip hop. I’m a thinker.
ROCK IT
BEFORE YOU’RE TOLD TO
ROCK IT
BEFORE YOU’RE TOLD TO
2NR: What other types of music are you listening to besides hip hop and R&B?
S: I listen to country, blues, alternative, pop,
rock. Arabic.
2NR: What’s one thing you’d like to do or
change?
S: I want to go back to high school and stay
awake on those days I slept. I would go back
and learn all the cognitive skills. I thought that I
was going to be a rapper and get the clothes,
houses and cars. But now I see it doesn’t work
like that. I wish I could go back and do that
right.
2NR: What were some jobs you had before you
started making dough?
S: <Laughs> I graduated from high school at 18
and signed with Relativity at 19. I flipped burgers, fried fries. I worked at Foot Action. I had to
change stinky sneakers. I worked at my dad’s
club. That was pretty much it.
2NR: What was your favorite car before you
made it?
S: In the hood I wanted what was in the hood.
So box Chevys, 4Runners and Cadillacs.
2NR: Now?
S: I like old cars, like a ’57 Edsel. I’d like a 4-door
for driving around, but I want the old makes.
Not one re-done with candy paint, a drop-top,
and sound, but one that’s stock.
2NR: What is your favorite dish?
S: Fish. That’s my favorite! I’m born and raised in
Chicago but my dad is from Louisiana and he
still cooks a pot of gumbo from scratch.
2NR: What do you want to do outside of rap?
S: I want to direct as opposed to act. I like to
give direction.
2NR: How would you describe yourself—are you
sexy, sensual, or what?
S: <Starts singing à la No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani>
I’m just a girl!
She was on speaker phone during the interview
and everyone in the office laughed at the unexpected response. She got a lot of smiles and
nods throughout the conversation. My gut tells
me that there’s no doubt (pun intended) that
Shawnna’s debut, “Worth the Weight,” is going
to pull tons of fans (yes, again intended).
Shawnna Stats:
Height: 5 feet 3 inches
Weight: 116
DOB: Jan. 3, 1978
Sign: Capricorn
Represents: Chicago
Years rapping: 10
Official years in music: 6
Number of years making money rapping: 4
Website: shawnnamusic.com
The song that got her into music: Ice Cube’s
“Jackin’ 4 Beats.”
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