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Sha Stimuli

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Written by Stu

First up thanks for taking the time out to do this interview
You grew up surrounded by Hip Hop in Brooklyn, what was life like for a young Sha Stimuli?
Life for me was basically "hood." I was born in Brownsville and raised mostly in Flatbush. Flatbush was a little calmer than Brownsville but it was still dangerous as hell. Growing up in the 80's and 90's it was all about making it to the next day, looking fresher than the next dude, knowing all the hottest hip-hop and bagging females. I boosted clothes, freestyle battled, studied rap music, did what I had to do in school but focused on being just a cool dude that everybody knew. I wasn't the hardest, I wasn't sweating girls and I didn't run with any crews that didn't focus on getting money. Once I got decent at basketball I knew that would be my ticket out of the hood.
Your older brother is Lord Digga, what was his influence in making you become a rapper?
He helped me see that being a rap artist was something lucrative and real. For most kids sitting home writing rhymes, they don't get to see dudes that chose rap as a career so close to them. Masta Ace and Craig G were at my house all the time so it seemed like a career choice that was as tangible as becoming a teacher to me. So when my brother would bring me to the studio and shows and I was meeting all these artists and learning about the game it was an experience that was giving me an advantage. It wasn't a fad to me, it was a part of me. Rap wasn't as popular as it is now as far as everyone wanting to be on the business side. Folks were content with being fans back then. So when I see dudes I went to high school and junior high with and they're into music now it's kinda interesting to me because they knew I was serious about this from way back.

At age 11 you wrote your first rhyme, do you remember much about it?
Yea I remember it. It was a joint called "We're Fresh." My cousin and I, Dre Knight the producer entered a talent show at summer camp so I wrote a song for us. Real simple joint, my name was Kid Dynamite then. My brother laughed at it but we won and for some reason I was confident as hell. When we got back to school Dre was telling everybody how nice I was and I had never wrote another song after that. We were on the bus and everyone wanted to hear a rhyme. Since my brother was Digga I had a sneak preview of "The Symphony" before it got released and I remembered the 1st few bars of Big Daddy Kane's verse so I spit it like it was mine. After that I had to go home and write because I had a rep. I didn't really look back after that.

How did appearing on Master Ace's "Slaughter House" come about
Ace told me he hated the Dynamite name so I changed it to Lil Lord Sha but all of a sudden he's tellin me keep Dynamite and he wants me to do an intro for him. He picked me up from school to take me to the studio and that was one of the most exciting days of my life. He basically told me what he wanted me to say and I freaked the rest. Then when my brother had his song on there I came up with some of the chorus so I spit that and what's even crazier is I had a verse on "Crazy Drunken Style." Ace thought that it sounded like another posse cut so he decided to take it off. It was only 8 bars but it was hot, I think I used some of those punchlines on one of my mixtapes..for real.

To many a newcomer appearing alongside Master Ace would be like "woah!!" for you being around these artists like Ace, Big Daddy Kane etc from a young age what was the feeling like being on a track with Master Ace?
Ace was like family to me growing up so it was a big deal but it was still regular to me. It didn't change my life at the time but it felt like validation knowing I was on a hip-hop album. I think if that verse would've made it, it might've made someone take notice. I was lyrical as hell back then, I said some shit about murdering emcees and going to P.S 187. I could've gotten a deal. Ha..To answer your question I was too busy hating on Kris Kross and Chi-Ali to be excited. Real talk

You spent some time in the studio when the late Notorious BIG was recording "Ready to Die", what affect did seeing Biggie work have on you?
It made me go home and write a bunch of verses til I fell asleep. It made me a true fan and thats pretty much it. I knew he had something great but I couldn't put my finger on it. You have to think about it, these were demo songs, it wasn't like he was on TV or famous or rich. He was grimy and spittin shit hard as hell and then colorful on commercial beats. I was just simply a fan, hip-hop was pure back then.

Having being on the mixtape circuit you made The Sources "Unsigned Hype" in 2003 and proclaimed as the "Next Best Thing" to come out of Brooklyn what was that like for you?
That was the set off to my career as far as officially arriving on the hip-hop scene. That section is still highly regarded in hip-hop history since the greats passed thru there. It goes down that I am in the same class as some of the best rappers ever. To know that without a deal and without politics that they thought that my music was strong enough to be chosen as Unsigned Hype. I used that to open plenty of doors and get more press and eventually get labels to pay attention. It felt like all the work I put in for my life had paid off, it also taught me to appreciate every accomplishment since then.

Your often reffered to as "The voice of the people", mainstream rap seems to lack a peoples voice these days, as an artist and lyricist what do you bring to the listener?
As an artist I try not to make it too complex for the listener. I just try to say shit that most people are feeling and say it in the most clever way imaginable. My aim is to evoke feeling and provoke thought with my words so you don't just hear what I'm saying but you feel it as well. I try to expand my topics to things that have never been done on record in ways that are new to the listener. At the same time I want to provide the same feeling that we got from music when there wasn't much fluff to it. When the songs didn't all sound alike and there was no hit record formula. People get lost nowadays.

For the people that havent heard you rap how would you describe your style?
My style is what some would call conversational, it can get pretty emotional at times as well. If you've ever gone to hear a speaker at a seminar about something you're truly interested in...Like when one of those famous authors or film directors comes to speak to enthusiasts about their craft and everyone is on the edge of their seats because they're about to learn something. Thats what it feels like when you're listening to me. Its not brow beating sermons or speeches. it's like I'm talking directly to you about me or even about you. It's music more than it is just rap, at least thats my goal. You be the judge.

Many artists these days hit the mixtape scene running, you releases 3 mixtapes in a few years not opting for that partiular route what is your approach to getting your name and music out there?
I have no one approach but I'll tell you that I'm tired of trying to get on every DJ's CD so I've decided to put my own CDs out. The politics of the game cause folks to discriminate against those who are unpopular so right now I'm giving people a CD every month this year. The 1st installment was The Wire mixed by DJ Victorious and the 2nd one is called Love Jones. Both inspired by television and film and most of all life. I dont have one single plan other than to flood the streets with real shit. I have enough material and I'm tired of rappers telling me they're on their grind so Imma define grind right now. If anyone can do what I'm doing then join me. I'm giving you full songs with concepts and still dropping a major release this year. Watch out for The March on Washington next month.

Your Debut album "Thee Emotion Picture" is being released this year can you tell us a bit about it, how it has been put together and who we can expect to hear on it.
I've been working on it for awhile and it is has been written as a continuous story that flows from beginning to end with each song relating to the other. However with all the time that has passed and some of the music possibly being dated I may be holding onto about 6 records from the time I started. I will go back in and refocus on it when I have the major release date set but I still have music from Just Blaze, Nottz, The Narcotics, J. Cardim and Chad West. I don't have any features yet but there will be a few. Cinderella Man, my indie album with producer J. Cardim will probably come before that. Every release will be worthy, trust me.

You were signed with Virgin in 2005 what happend to that deal?
To make a long story not as long. The A&R that signed me left to go back to his original label Def Jam records. In his attempt to bring me along he got resistance from Virgin. Def Jam's president agreed in the beginning and then dragged out the process for whatever reason and left me stuck for about 8 months without a label to call home. I was still signed to Virgin technically but they thought I wanted to leave and get dropped so I wouldn't have to pay back the $ I owed them while Def jam thought that maybe I would get dropped and they could get a clean start with them instead of them paying Virgin for the rights to release my album. Through all of that I was locked in and unable to put anything out. I've recently gotten my release...I think.

What are your views on the Hip Hop industry at present?
The industry is what it is right now, it has reached a point where artists aren't selling what they used to and the labels aren't really signing anyone or putting artists out. It feels like it's going back to the times when you had to have talent and grind on your own. I hope it deters people that aren't talented or willing to go hard from jumping in the business because it seemed very easy for people to get into the game since the success of the mixtape for the unsigned artist. I try not to dwell on the industry itself because it taints my creativity. I'm more focused on music and what I can add to it. People need a variety though and there haven't been enough options on radio in years.

What can we expect from you in 2008
A mixed cd every month, an indie album an EP and a major release. Videos and footage from shows, an independent film called "Gotta Get Mine" with Pain in Da Ass and Rock from Heltah Skeltah, I'm in the Terrence Howard movie "Fighting" and I may have a spot in the new film "The Vapors."

Where can people go to find out more about you?
www.myspace.com/shastimuli, www.youtube.com, check me out right here. I'm sure yall gon feature more of my shit. yes!

Is there anything else you would like to add?
Stay tuned for The Present, I got right now.

Thanks again for your time
Thank you!

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