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day student can relate to, let me welcome SCC student and Seattle’s very own Anthony Shears.
SCC’s Shears, 23, has been a hip-hop head since the age of nine, and realized that he wanted to pursue rapping as more than just a hobby at the age of 13 when he won a music video contest at Whitman
Middle School, impressing judges with the phrase “Edutainment,”
combining the words “education”
and “entertainment.” His accomplishment resulted in $450,000 worth of K-Swiss gear for his entire school. Since then, he has pursued his dream, rapping
about the truth and real-life circumstances.
Growing up Shears biggest influence
was LL Cool J.
“The first time I heard ‘Can’t Live Without My Radio,’ I was like wow,” said Shears. “I went home and tried to write something like that, but I was frustrated because it just wasn’t good enough.”
Everyday after that, Shears would write something when he woke up, and before he fell asleep. He would put everything he wrote into shoeboxes.
“I had, like, 40 shoeboxes of rhymes. The more I wrote the better I got, so I’d write from 9 o’clock until I went to sleep.”
Growing up in Seattle, Shears is proud of the city in which he resides and doesn’t hesitate in letting people know through his music. His song “SEA” is a tribute to the Emerald City, tying all his lyrics to the area in some shape or form. He created this song because
felt he hadn’t heard an anthem
that properly represented Seattle.
Growing up in Seattle, Shears is proud of the city in which he resides and doesn’t hesitate in letting people know through his music. His song “SEA” is a tribute to the Emerald City, tying all his lyrics to the area in some shape or form. He created this song because
felt he hadn’t heard an anthem
that properly represented Seattle.
Shears has been all over the U.S. attending many different colleges.
He’s attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire and the University of Washington. He has also lived in Boston, Chicago and New York for music-oriented purposes.
Shears decided to attend SCC to take a break from everything. “With the CD coming out and over 40 shows in the next two months, I didn’t want to end up half-assing anything,” said Shears. “Being at Shoreline has given me the opportunity
to detach, focus, and work on myself as an artist.”
Shears is taking an acting class to work on his on-stage performance,
as well as a guitar class to work on his song writing.
“I appreciate that Shoreline has given me the opportunity to make my dreams become even more of a reality,” says Shears.
On November 6. Shears and SMG (Shears Music Group, consisting
of 11 members) will be releasing
their first major CD titled “The Growth: My Endtroduction”. The title reflects his development from the experiences and troubles he faced since the release of his last CD “Welcome to Seattle,” marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. “The Growth” contains sleek, fetching hooks from track one to 17 and is filled with his personal, unique experiences.
When asked if he could explain his music in one word Shears said “Honest.”
“I don’t feel (that) an alias is necessary, because what makes my music special is that it’s one hundred percent real. If I add an alias, I’m adding artificiality.”
His song “Mea Culpa” (Portuguese
for “My Fault”) is an apology
to family, friends and fans after
cutting off all contact with the outside world when his grandma died, and his best friend and dad were killed. His verse referring to his father, “I had to come to grips with the fact he wont be comin’ back, but as long as I’m spittin’ dude he’s livin’ through my raps, but as long as I’m livin’ dude he’s livin’ through my tats” is one of the many lines in the song which explain he must continue with what he’s doing.
Shears and his manager, J. Speaks Love, who is from Chicago and has over 25 years of experience
in the music and entertainment
business, have a deal on the table with a subsidiary of Universal
Records.
“We have 10 songs to win their hearts, but honestly I have full faith we are capable of sustaining ourselves without the backing of a major label,” said Shears, “so they will have to step up their offer, or we’ll continue what we do independently.”
Their 10-song CD will be called “Redemption” and should be ready in the spring.
From KUBE 93 to KEXP, Shears’ music has been heard over all the major radio stations throughout Washington. He is increasing
his exposure through his major in-house PR out of Los Angeles
and by performing at venues
throughout the state. Among his notable performances, he will be doing a show on November 3 at Eastern Washington University
with local big name group, the Blue Scholars.
Shears will kick off his release of “The Growth” at local nightlife hotspot, Babalu’s, on November 6 at 8 p.m.
In five to 10 years Shears just hopes to have a full-time job and be able to support himself. “If I’m bagging groceries in 10 years and I can get someone to recognize me and compliment me on my music, then I’ll be satisfied,” said Shears. “But I know the next big artist is a kid on a school bus somewhere, writing his rhymes, and I want to sign him.”
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