Conversations with BaShari James

Today we’d like to introduce you to BaShari James.

Hi BaShari, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is BaShari James (Orlando raised, FSU Alumni, JSU Alumni, and a Kappa Alpha Psi man) and I’ve had a passion for singing ever since I can remember. My late grandfather could sing, my dad and uncles can sing, and I remember my mom even trying to hold a note singing to me as a baby. From the youth choir at Bay Street COGIC to the studio to the bootleg praise team my family would form at family reunions and holiday gatherings, I’ve always known that I had a gift for singing. But, of course, the devil works ten times harder to keep you from your purpose! I had to battle it out with my own insecurities and fears before I could really accept and tap into my gift. That started with me making the decision to pursue music in college. With no history of classical training in voice, I auditioned and was accepted into the Florida State University’s College of Music as a Bachelor of Arts in Music voice major. From there, I went on to get more involved by singing at on-campus events with organizations like the NAACP, BSU, and SGA. I also got involved in several choirs with the college such as: the Gospel choir, University Singers, Men’s Glee, The Opera, and an all-male a cappella group named Reverb. Looking back, it all prepared me for what I’m doing now. I’m a professional singer for The After Party Experience, an Award-Winning party band and DJ. I’m also a recording artist. I just released my latest single, Locked in Love featuring Tha Cosmos, in 2022 and I have much more music to share with the world. R.I.P. to all the opportunities I’ve missed because of shyness and low self-esteem. I plan on being courageous and taking risks for the things and people I love from here on out!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve definitely been met with my own set of challenges throughout my journey. One being the passing of my grandfather. My parents had me at a young age and I was partly raised by my grandparents. My grandfather was my biggest supporter and he passed while I was in the home with him from unknown reasons. I felt as if I let him, my grandmother, and our entire family down. It took me to a depressed state and led to some of the reasons why I struggled with singing again and some of insecurities I battled. I remember going to counseling back in school which brought some things to light about the situation and me, personally. Eventually, I learned how to channel that pain into singing and my music, but it took a long time to get to that point.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a professional singer, songwriter, and recording artist. The genre I fall under is Pop. I love singing and writing to beats that get you to move and that is accompanied by various instrumentation. I’m used to singing with a live band, so that’s that’s an experience I like to convey through my music. I also like to sing and create music that’s timeless and tells a story. I think Popular music allows me to do that in a different way than any other genre. I exist to be authentic, not performative. I think that’s what sets me apart from others. I just released my very first single on March 1st of this year and the feedback was nothing short of amazing. It showed me how relationships breed results. The relationships that I’ve been blessed to have and cultivate throughout my lifetime is what I’m most proud of. I really have been blessed to have good people in my corner and I think that speaks through my music, my journey, and what draws people in.

How do you define success?
I define and equate success with overcoming your fears. Fear has the power to help us determine what success means to us. It gives us an ideal for what success looks like and it is the only thing that can keep us from reaching that ideal. But, when we make the decision to stretch ourselves and go beyond what we think we can accomplish, then it really shows us how capable we are and teaches us what it means to achieve success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basharijames/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/basharijamesmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ_Y8n781VcS9PlOBzH9RRg
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/bashari-james