Today we’d like to introduce you to Shah.
Shah, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’ve always been the outsider. I’ve always been the underdog taking on Goliath. My fans know this, but other than in my music, I don’t put my struggles on blast. As a brown boy from Toronto, there was no blueprint for chasing your dreams. I didn’t have existing role models or paths of success to follow. This means I’ve always had to figure things out on my own, which is the less glamorous part of my story.
My arrival in Atlanta exemplifies this. I came here in the midst of some dark circumstances and had no plans of making this home. I didn’t know a single person here, and this city’s oversaturated with aspiring rappers, but the people of Atlanta believing in me from jump inspired me to take on the challenge and sparked the movement that outsiders see today.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My music is what I’m best known for. Rap’s opened a lot of doors for me, from street art to fashion, to television, but rap is the foundation of everything I create. My personal inspiration is touched my fans with music that gives them a profound experience. As my success grows, I’m proud to be the role model for kids that I didn’t have growing up. One thing to know about my artwork is the hidden nature of the messages I embed in my music.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
Financial challenges are real for artists, especially rappers because the come up ain’t cheap. So how bad do you want it? The streets of Atlanta offer more opportunity than any place I’ve ever seen, except maybe investment banking in Manhattan. So trap your way to the money needed to level up your art so it attracts the money.
The other gem I can give you is: if you know where the money is around you, it can help you attract the team you need to grow. Instagram is full of rappers wanting to pay me good money for a feature for the boost it will give their careers. Me knowing helps me attract people that get this money. Me knowing that my fanbase is full of tastemakers that appreciate me putting them onto hot brands helps accelerate business from relevant brands looking for the right ambassador.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I feel like most people in Atlanta know me from hearing my music in strip clubs or from Instagram. The best place to hear my work online is Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hBst02JynfzaF2PFF0MJa) or any streaming site (https://song.link/i/1455430628). My most hardcore Atlanta fans are the creatives that are always the first to discover new music, and the best way to support is just to share my music with your own communities.
Shah can be found @DayofShah on all social media platforms.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thisisdayone.com
- Phone: 646-752-1686
- Email: booking@thisisdayone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dayofshah/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dayofshah/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hBst02JynfzaF2PFF0MJa?si=MX9xXFdMRMKbFYxXVTiJqQ
Image Credit:
Steve West (IG @stevewest); Joana Reyes (IG @j.v.r_photo); JACOBO (IG @portraitsbyjacobo); Borna Jafari (IG @borna_jafari); David Quiroga & lighting/set design by David Wilson (IG @david_quiroga & @davidgwils); JACOBO (IG @portraitsbyjacobo); Just Text artwork – Devon Magnone (IG @devon_haley); Poison artwork – Devon Magnone (IG @devon_haley)
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
