Today we’d like to introduce you to Negative Shawdy.
Negative Shawdy, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Musically, growing up, I was heavily influenced by my mother and father. I’m half Mexican & Black; therefore, the music I listened to growing up varied. A lot of people on both sides of my family are either singers & musicians; Including my older brother, who as far as I can remember, has always been musically involved. Whether it be musical theatre, creating music, or dancing. That being said, my brother would have to be my greatest influence. I went to two different Christian schools in 5th-8th grade. The first school I attended is where I joined the worship team & really discovered my passion for music. I’ve always felt very confident in my talent, as I feel that my voice was given to me by God. I do feel very blessed, but life was not always happy for me. Ironically, most of my late middle school & high school years, I spent looking for a reason to live. Questioning myself and my belief in God, all due to the one thing I had never really had issues with before; My sexuality. I spent most of my days harming myself & others with my actions, due to the suppressed fear & anger that I was too afraid to deal with on a day to day basis. After running away from my past self, I started high school in Virginia, where I lived with my father. Despite being in a new environment, I quickly fell victim to my inner demons & my need to “fit in.” I fell into the wrong crowd and started making one wrong decision after the next. Before I knew it; I was feeling as if I was just some angry high schooler, pushing the low-quality mixtapes they make in their bedroom. Uh-Oh! I had nothing, but the soul I put into my music, to show for all 19 years that my parents have tried to instill a good work ethic within me. It wasn’t until shortly after my 18th birthday that things started to be put into perspective. If I wanted to get anywhere in life, especially with music, it had to start with my life & who I allowed in it. I had to change my attitude & even the people I surrounded myself with. I knew that I wanted a lot more from life than I was getting, but for so long was asking people around me “how??”. In order to provide a pathway out of the rock bottom that I was at, I had to distance myself from a lot of people that didn’t have the same goals, interest, or values as I do. I believe that when you have a passion for something, you don’t let anything else get in the way of that passion. Including people & their opinions. I now know that labels do not represent who I am, nor do other people. My actions do not only represent me & who I am as a person, but they also represent my resilient parents, that have never stopped believing in me or praying for me. It was that very same belief & faith in God that has brought me out of the darkness & has shaped the person I am in life, and musically. If it wasn’t for the people, I now have around me, with the same goals as I, constantly seeking to reach perfection, trying to be the best that they can possibly be, not only musically, but personally, I do not think that I would be telling my story today.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I started playing guitar & making beats around middle school. I make music because, for me, it has always been a coping method. When I am singing, or performing, that’s the only thing that is on my mind. I become so focused on not only my lyrics, but the way they make me feel, and the way I felt when writing them. If there was one message that I would hope people would take from listening to my music, it would be to embrace your vulnerability. I think it has become apparent in my music that I am a very emotional being. I do not run from my feelings, nor fear them. I simply feel them.
The sterotype of a starving artist scares away many potentially talented artists from pursuing art – any advice or thoughts about how to deal with the financial concerns an aspiring artist might be concerned about?
Any advice that I could offer to anyone struggling financially would be to take care of what you need to take care of first. Save. Invest. Music will always be there. Music is never going to leave. Like I said before if you have a passion for something, you let nothing get in the way. Music isn’t a race; it’s art. You can always master your art on your own time because music is only going to evolve.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
People can show support through Instagram, SoundCloud, YouTube, and soon to come to Spotify. I post all of my updates on new songs and shows to Instagram & urge anyone to reach out to me there!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SoundCloud.com/negativeshawdy
- Email: negativeshawdy@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/negativeshawdy
- Other: https://YouTube.com/negativeshawdy
Image Credit:
@ontheg0jo
@itsdaygosfinest
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