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ShaqO releases impressive new project ‘In A Real Way’

In A Real Way is now available to stream on all platforms!

Independent artist ShaqO is back with some new heat. The LA-based talent just released his latest project called In A Real Way. It’s a 13-track effort that showcases his talents and unique style as an artist. On the album, Shaqo delivers some powerful verses while maintaining his usual turn-up energy and vibe.


“This project is basically about myself, how I be feeling about women, how I want love but at the same time it’s tricky, and overall just me having fun,” ShaqO said in a recent interview.


In A Real Way is one of ShaqO’s best efforts to date. He’s someone who has the ambition and talent to take his skills to the next level, and continues to showcase what he has to offer to the world.


His distinct sound sets him apart from his peers, and one of his goals include inspiring as many people as he can through his music. Keep scrolling to learn more about ShaqO and stream his project In A Real Way, out now on all platforms!


What city are you from/ Where are you based now?

I am from Rialto, CA which is located in the Inland Empire. I am based out of Los Angeles now.


What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name?

My artist name is ShaqO and my real name is Shaquille. I got my artist name a couple of ways. So in high school the homies would always call me ShaqO. Just adding an “O” after a name was the thing to do. Also my abuela is from Nicaragua and only speaks Spanish. She can’t really pronounce my name all the way so she would call me ShaqO.


At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?

Growing up I was involved in band and I played the clarinet. I stopped playing in 8th grade because I had one of those “teenage” moments and thought band was for geeks. I always loved music and I would often find myself writing down my favorite lyrics from my favorite artists in a notebook. I would always be rapping and playfully freestyling at lunch etc. My senior year of high school I just randomly made a song one day and decided to put it out. I started walking with a cane my junior year of high school and people started calling me 2canez my senior around the time 2 Chainz blew up. Nonetheless this all contributed to me making music.


Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?

My upbringing has played a role in who I am and my sound. Growing up my uncle and grandparents played everything. My uncle had all rap/hip hop and R&B music. My grandparents played all oldies and I had to listen to all of them. I took a liking to a lot of west coast music and oldies. A lot of my sound is very West Coast and ratchet but I like to add a dash of smoothness in there.


How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?

My sound is very unique because I like to add my own twist on my ad libs and the way I say my words. I cannot really compare myself to any artist because I am me, but nonetheless it is unique in its own way.


What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career?

Well my love for music really. But I feel like I can be the figure for other people to come out of their shell and do what they want to do.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?

Music is the medicine for the soul. It is the only thing in life that can give you a wide range of emotions and memories that last forever. My inspiration comes from my family and others who are genuinely happy and love music. My grandmother loved music and she loved to dance, so she often comes to mind when I’m doing music.


Who are some of your main musical influences?

This is a great question. Some of my musical influences are Drake, Suga Free, and Nas.


What are some of your music career goals for the future?

My music career goals is to be the best me I can be in music and have fun with it. Enjoy my process and take the L’s with the W’s. I also hope to inspire as many people as I can through myself and the art process of my music.


Tell us about your latest project that just dropped, In A Real Way. What’s it about?

The project I am promoting is titled In A Real Way. This project is basically about myself. How I be feeling about women, how I want love but at the same time it’s tricky, and overall just me having fun.


What has the response been like to that project?

So far I have dropped two singles “Him” and “Set It Off.” People have seemed to really like them alot. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback regarding the tape and I can tell people are excited.


What are some projects you’ve done in the past that you are most proud of and why?

Some projects I have done from the past is Live From the 9 and W.H.R.O.T.Y. I was most proud of Live From The 9 because I feel like not only was I in a great space at that time but it has one of my favorite songs I did. That project is what kind of got me more fans.


What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for?

Next for me I am going to continue working on new music and visuals. I plan on dropping a new capsule of clothing from my K.A.N.E Gang clothing line. I plan on dropping the capsule and videos for In A Real Way in a couple weeks.


What message do you hope fans take away from your music?

I hope fans take away the message that it is okay to be you. Embrace it and have fun with it because there is only one you and you are responsible for your own happiness.


Where can we follow you on social media?

Instagram and Twitter is @thekanepapi.

Big Wave Pryce shares catchy new single “I Could Never”

“I Could Never” is out everywhere!

Independent artist Big Wave Pryce is someone to definitely keep on your radar. The Bronx-based talent is coming with the heat and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. He just released a new single called “I Could Never,” which showcases his talents and versatility as an artist. The rising star is undoubtedly talented and has a unique sound. He’s paving his own lane for himself and is just getting started. With his talents and ambition, there’s no doubt that he will make it far — as his work truly speaks for itself.

In a recent interview, Big Wave Pryce talked about his upbringing and how it shaped the sound of his music.

“The first CDs I ever bought were DMX’s Blood of my Blood and Lauryn Hill,” he revealed to Remixd Magazine. “The melodies and passion behind those vocals, in addition to knowing I had a family member overseas that is an MC, motivated me from a young age. I loved the ability to use words and that became evident while I was in school. For example, I’m long-winded and that that’s an okay trait to have when writing music – it gives me structure.”


Big Wave Pryce describes the songs that he writes as “soundtracks” to his life, because everyday is a movie. His passion for making music comes from his desire to make an impact. It’s clear to see in his music that his infectious energy and overall upbeat vibe can shift a mood or how someone feels towards his music.


His latest single “I Could Never” is a song about preserverance and determination. On the track, he talks about taking things to the next level. The release is truly one of his most impressive releases to date and showcase his range and versatility as an artist.


As far as what’s next for him, he’s planning on releasing more music and more videos. He also plans to release an EP that will drop next year! In the meantime, stay tuned with what he has going on and stream “I Could Never,” here. Also, follow him on social media!


IG: @bigwavepryce Twitter :@surfdontswim

Aeli shares innovative new single ‘Apostrophes’

Apostrophes is out now everywhere!

Meet Aeli! He’s an independent artist who is now based in Los Angeles and is pursuing his music career to the fullest. Aeli describes his sound has having a mixture of different influences that have been shaped by the different backgrounds and places that he’s been to. At the heart of his music, he has hip-hop undertones and has a very unique sound.


His latest track, “Apostrophes” is a great introduction to Aeli’s sound and style of music. The innovative beat combined with his powerful delivery truly makes the rising artist stand out amongst his peers. His sound is genre-defying and boundary crossing, meaning that Aeli is in his own lane when it comes to being creative.


Keep reading to learn more about him and his musical journey.

What city are you from/ Where are you based now?

I’m born and raised in Tunis, studied in Paris, launched my career in Dubai and just moved to LA to pursue my dream.

What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name?

My artist name is Aeli and my real name is Ali Aloulou. Aeli is simply spelling Ali letter by letter in French: A – EL – I. Its pronunciation mutated when I moved to Dubai and got “Englishified”.

At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music?

I am actually an architect and an interior designer, I was approaching music as a hobby that I’m passionate about. Until I reached a point, without forcing it, where music started to become a serious source of income then I thought: This is actually possible! So gradually, I shifted to part time so I can focus more into music and then did the necessary to move to LA and take my music career to the next level.

Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?

Of course it did! I had a beautiful childhood surrounded by loved ones, but most importantly, unlimited imagination and creativity were key factors. That mental state of pure freedom is what I try to reach through creating music. I produced a song for a French rapper that said in one of his songs: “Know that a kid who dreams a lot makes a man that doesn’t sleep well.” It truly resonates with me.

How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?

It’s a mixture of all my different influences, backgrounds and places I’ve been to. The heart of it is Hip-Hop. That’s the aesthetic. But I add to it some spices that relate to a specific culture I work around. It can be through a sample, a key or just the spirit.

What ultimately inspired you to dedicate yourself to a music career?

My hate for architecture office life haha! More seriously the lifestyle that goes with it, I had a taste of that when constantly touring, traveling, meeting interesting people, I get to do what I love the most, share it with people and get paid for it! It has a feeling of freedom that is beautiful.

What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?

It’s the fact that it’s impossible for me to get bored of it. There’s always something new to learn, something different to experiment, more artists to collaborate with, more cities to discover through DJing, unlimited sounds and ways of doing things… The absence of routine in my perception of it is what makes me passionate about it. I get inspired by moods, movies, books, ideas, jokes, people, traditions… but also other music.


Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?

I box and do yoga. Quite opposite activities but I enjoy both. I love watching movies and reading even though I have less time for that now. I love learning about civilizations and history. I have some strange periodical phases where I dive deep in random subjects, it happened recently with space and nutrition. In a weird way all these activities are creative to me and help open my mind.

What are some of your music career goals for the future?

I want to collaborate with as many artists and producers as possible, make a name for myself in LA scene and progressively, USA and then the world. I want to work on my sound and have a signature that listeners can recognize the same way early 2000s producers had such a strong touch to their beats without having to put a voice tag. I want to keep experimenting and stay open minded with no genre restriction, like Diplo or Srillex. I want to represent my country Tunisia and my North African culture and give a voice to our people in the international culture.

Tell us about the project that you are promoting. What is it about? Is it a single or EP? Also, what is the name of the last project you released?

Apostrophes’ is the second release in my collaborative series with my favorite Middle East-based artists themed around the idea of ‘Good bye’. I embarked on this project after being inspired by this quote from David Lynch’s cult series Twin Peaks: “To beginnings… and endings, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Throughout the series, I give my handpicked artists the opportunity to wrap up unfinished business and say goodbye to a person, a behavior or an addiction. A fierce farewell message to his rapping competitors as he leaves them behind, ‘Apostrophes’ sees Dubai-based SriLankan JustNishan showcase his lyrical ability to play with words, highlighting his competitive spirit. Although ‘Apostrophes’ can be seen as JustNishan lyrically showing off for the most part – “You can hold my beer while I show you m********kers how to do this” – the underlying message of the song emphasizes the hardship of farewells.

For the beat, I went for a Hardcore Trappy atmosphere to give more impact to JustNis- han’s words. Dark and solemn horns adds more majesty to the rapper’s ego trip and the complexity of the drum and bass highlights the rhythmic patterns of JustNishan’s flow. An unexpected alternative perspective is delivered towards the end of the track when the singer Mars discreetly makes her debut, backing up Nishan’s chorus and adding an extra layer of female aggression.

‘Apostrophes’ follows hot on the heels of ‘Cry Me A Valley’ with Seki SuperVillain, which garnered press attention from the US to the UAE, and was featured on Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists.


What has the response been like to that project?

It was unbelievable! I reached all time personal records in terms of numbers. Gained a new audience in South Africa. I still get messages from people from there sending me love and support. South Africa has the most amazing audience!

What are some projects you’ve done in the past that you are most proud of and why?

CPT because of the reasons mentioned above but also because it was such a smooth collaboration with unbelievably talented people. It was artistically and humanely meaningful. The other one would be my last EP “Zoetrope” that is my most underrated work. It’s an autobiographical narration through music. I worked so hard to achieve that result, being sincere and spontaneous.

What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for? Include some dates if you have them.

I’m going to release the rest of the singles from the same series every month. After that I’m dropping an EP of instrumental music, it’s an OST for an Emirati movie called Forthcoming directed by my friend Aiham Al Subaihi. From that point I believe I’m going to focus on producing for other artists, I’m in touch with some and started working with some. You’ll know the names soon!

What message do you hope fans take away from your music?

From my music, I want them to share the feeling I’m expressing through specific projects, I want them to understand and relate to it. From my story, I want them to keep having dreams and try as hard as they can to achieve them, at one’s own pace, depending on their reality. For my Tunisian and North African people, I want them to have a voice through my art. For the rest of the world, I want to introduce them to a foreign culture.

Where can we follow you on social media?

@aelimusic on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook


Listen to “Apostrophes” below!