What’s your stage name and where are you from?
Najee from Baltimore, MD
What’s the story behind your stage name?
Najee is my given name. I had always struggled with finding rap names going back to middle school. I most recently rapped under the name SHDW, an acronym for short/heavy/dark/wise, things I was often made fun of for that negatively impacted my self esteem. That came from me playing as Snake on Super Smash Bros. and fighting on the Shadow Moses Island stage. The initial idea was SHDW Moses with a reference to Moses leading people to freedom but I eventually shortened it to just SHDW before I started releasing music under that name. Ultimately, because my music is so personal, I felt like a stage name was a bit like a mask or barrier between me and existing and potential fans.
Describe your musical journey in three sentences.
My musical journey started in church choirs but a bad singing voice, a propensity for writing and a love of poetry led me to rap. What started as a collection of superficial songs about a lifestyle I could only imagine quickly became an outlet to release my heaviest emotions. As an artist/man in my early 30s, the things that bothered me when I started rap or really found my footing as a writer don’t impact me anymore and I’ve found myself reorienting my “creative mind” to allow myself to have more fun with this art form I love so much.
Share an interesting experience you had while creating your latest track.
This is a tough question to answer after the “have more fun” bit. My latest track came to me after my grandmother passed last March. Death always has a weird way of peeling scabs and aggravating old wounds. Between interacting with family members I hadn’t seen in over 10 years and counting the ones who didn’t care to show up (from her siblings to her cousins to some of her grandchildren), I struggled a lot with the idea of community and isolation. I pondered to what degree my current anti-social behavior is something I learned from family through their actions and as a defense mechanism when feeling alone and to what degree it’s a conscious decision born of my own selfishness.
What message do you want to convey through your music?
It honestly depends on the song I’m writing. The common thread that ties much of my music together is that it’s honesty about everyday life. In that respect, I want to convey to people that they aren’t alone. It’s not always easy to sit in your feelings and folks often look to art to escape but when you want to work through it, I’ve got some songs you can listen to.
Tell us about a challenge you faced during production and how you overcame it.
The challenge with writing this song was really the inciting incident itself and managing grief while writing.
If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?
probably Anderson .Paak. even though the music I choose to release is nothing like his, I’m comfortable with and enjoy flowing over any and everything. He makes some really fun songs but has also been willing to be vulnerable and has in my opinion mastered balancing vulnerability with replay value of a record.
Where do you see your music taking you in the next year?
I see music taking me outside of my personal bubble and into other spaces as both an artist and a fan of the art. Being both a regular spectator/supporter and performer. I don’t desire the major label backing or celebrity status but I’d love for my music to take me out of the typical 9-5 space and be at point where I can rely on it to replace my current income.
What’s the next big step for you as an artist?
Consistency across the board. I’ve used life as an excuse for falling off the wagon far too many times in my 20s so my next big step is building a consistent group of supporters, building and a consistently adding to my catalog with regular releases.
Where can we hear/watch your most recent work?
https://open.spotify.com/track/68wOoEmyKM4GnJWkhhY5zs?si=740c5710dc2d4219
