Describe your sound in 3 words
Old School Rap
Tell us a few things about your new song “Someone”. What is the main idea behind it?
I wanted to write a motivational song to inspire people and show them that even a small change can have a massive impact. I feel if someone works hard and stays focused they can achieve their goals and I wanted this to come across in an uplifting song.
Which is your most personal and honest lyric?
“Now is your time to shine bright,
Step out of darkness into your spotlight
Make that move into your own groove,
It might start bumpy but will end up smooth”
The first line is aimed at myself. It is a reminder to keep my head down and work hard at my craft. When I first started rapping, 17 years ago, it wasn’t very accepted in my small village so I didn’t give it as much effort as I wanted to. Now, luckily, things are different so I wanted to get focused and make the move into my own groove.
Do you have an artist that you would describe as a hidden gem that we should know about?
RíRa. He’s a rapper from Tullamore, Co. Offaly and the Godfather of rap in Ireland. His crew, Scary Eire, were formed in the 90’s and have led the way for loads of really talented rappers in the years since.
Is Spotify the music industry’s new Gatekeepers?
Unfortunately, yes. If you want your music heard, it has to be on Spotify. Everyone knows about it but not everybody knows about the lack of support for the artist. To get any bit of money from Spotify you would need massive listenership that only huge established artists would get.
What is the best advice you’ve been given?
It’s definitely to just be yourself. A lot of talk in the hip hop community in Ireland is the use of American or English accents when rapping. For me, to be taken serious and to enjoy making and performing songs, I need to use my own voice and my own accent and talk about topics that are relevant to my life.
Thank you!
Follow Shafto
Instagram
HipHop Paranoia 