SOTLY Shawn releases EP titled Day by Day that focuses on pushing forward and looking at the big picture
By Bobby Martin
Hip-hop artist SOTLY Shawn wants his fans to know two things about him: never expect his sound to stay the same, and listening to his music is like getting a “home cooked meal.”
“You might have some fast food, and that’s always good,” he said. “But there’s nothing like being in your mother’s or grandma’s house and getting that home cooked meal. That’s what I feel like I am. You know that’s what you’re getting when you listen to SOTLY Shawn.”
The Brooklyn based rapper has has just released a new single called “Standin’” off his EP titled Day by Day.
“The message in the song is that no matter what, he’s still standing,” he said. “No matter what, he’s going to the top, he’s going to still stand. Whatever happens- we try to ignore the negativity, push the positivity, and that’s what we’re going with.”
“Standin’” is the outro track on the five song EP, which he said was created at a fairly chaotic time. There was stress about work and about finishing the project he was working on, and much of this is reflected in the songs.
The first track titled “Still” coincides with “Standin’” in a way that they are bookends to the project. The second song, “No Doubt” reflects on the experiences his mom had when working a 9-5 job. This is followed by “The Soul” and “Tonight.”
“All throughout that EP, the idea behind it is pushing through and not becoming so one-track minded,” he said. “With all the problems in your 9-5, or all the problems in your life, you have to look at everything in a big picture kind of way.”
SOTLY stands for “someone out there loves you,” and this is a mantra that he lives by and promotes.
“That’s like my whole message at the end of the day,” he said. “No matter what you’re going through…if you’re working a job that sucks or if you’re going through doubt, depression, uncertainty, anything, just know it's all a part of the process. Somebody out there cares about you. Make the decision to never give up on yourself and finding those answers, because someone out there loves you. They want to see you win. Even if it's just me, I want to see you win.”
He added, “Les Brown said once that your struggle will be the blueprint to someone’s survival.”
SOTLY Shawn pulls his inspiration from his own life, as well as aspects that his friends and those close to him have gone through. He’ll often put himself in other peoples’ shoes to get different perspectives about what is wrong and what is right.
“I try to dig from those personal experiences, but also try to incorporate as many sides of it that I possibly can,” he said. “It’s never going to be just black and white, so this gives me a plethora of things to pull from when looking at it from different perspectives.”
When he makes a song he starts with the melody, but then once that is situated, he might add something like a rain effect to evoke emotions. He focuses on conveying feelings on the beat, whether it is a simple drum pattern or something more complex.
Making beats has been a love of SOTLY Shawn’s for years, dating back to when he started listening to J. Cole at the age of nine. SOTLY Shawn saw similarities between themselves early and got drawn into his music. He knew then that he needed to make music of his own.
“That’s what made me want to start making my beats,” he said. “When I make beats, that’s when I really pull from shows I watch, sounds that I hear, and visual aspects. To me, beats can be visual if you make them in a certain way.”
SOTLY Shawn has a goal of connecting to as many people as he can through music.
“I want to be a part of every aspect of your life musically,” he said. “If you’re sad, I’ve got a song for that. If you’re working out, I’ve got a song for that. The goal really is to connect to people in different ways.”
You can check out SOTLY Shawn’s new single “Standin’” and his EP Day by Day on all platforms.
CLICK HERE for social media
No comments:
Post a Comment