Shelem: Purpose, Passion, Pride
Shelem ON SPOTIFY
New York, NY — Charleston, West Virginia producer, singer songwriter, artist, and entrepreneur Shelem (@shelem304) is rising quickly in the world of hip-hop and rap. His signature vocals, unique visuals, and distinctive branding has led to more and more attention on his music and career throughout 2020. Today, Shelem joins us to dive into his latest project ‘UhhYup! Bingo,’ what his purpose is as an artist, and how he was able to turn his musical passion into a musical business and create a life full of pride and success.
One can describe Shelem’s musical vibe as a desire to provide his fans a true listening experience. Describing the style of Shelem is best said by the artist himself. He coins his style as “bouncy and groovy rap music” to which we cannot deny! This is most apparent when listening to his latest mixtape here. Shelem doesn’t simply strive to create music, he strives to create art. But what makes Shelem so unique is his ability to couple his artistic vision with a notable and recognizable creative brand. This is precisely what led to Shelem’s signature “UhhYup! Bingo.”
Shelem shares…
“UhhYup! Bingo is a statement. It’s who I am and how I do things as an artist, marketer, and a brand. When deciding how I was going to put this music out, I chose to prioritize my fans and give them an experience. It’s not about me making good music, it’s about that music connecting us all to each other. I want that to be at the forefront of everything I do.”
Shelem is an artist with a business strategy thus making him an entrepreneur at heart. His ability to adapt to his environment, produce high quality consistent content, and do so with a brand and image is what allowed him to build a die hard growing fanbase while working a 9-5 job with an engineering degree. More to come on that later.
Motivation is a major struggle for everyone in the world with remote work, quarantine, and lack of human contact; this is especially true for creatives. The way a creative motivates themselves is truly unique to them. Shelem is no exception. He shares, “I just love music. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and the only thing I find more exciting than hearing a song I absolutely love is the pride that comes with knowing I made it.” Constantly reminding himself that he is working towards what he loves most every day is enough for him to wake up and do what he does daily.
Most creatives would agree artists often encounter writer’s block or experience inabilities to concentrate, while others find ways in which to take a step back, regroup and head into the next project with heightened clarity. When explaining his music delivery in 2021, he had this to say, “Part of the reason it’s being released weekly is because the songs aren’t meant to be listened to back to back like an album. These are songs to be enjoyed separately, on different days, when you’re in different moods.” He delivers this project with purpose, passion, and pride (with a hint of genius marketing strategy mixed in).
With T-Pain being at the top of his list of inspriational artists, he has dreams of collaborating with artist legends such as Smino, Westside Boogie, Duckwrth, and JID. When it comes to tracks that inspire Shelem the most “Kiss Kiss” by T-Pain & Chris Brown is one near the top of his list. When asked about his dream project, Shelem shares, “I wanna make my version of ‘Kiss Kiss’ one day. Hopefully, a whole album of it.” The mid-2000’s hit has stayed with him for good and in time, he may find the right point for executing on that project.
The bulk of Shelem’s dreams are deeply rooted in his belief that he is on the right path, and his desires to work hard through this past year are praiseworthy for sure. The COVID-19 situation has not been an easy one for many, particularly in the artist and creative world. Yet today in February 2021, the grand return to normalcy is still up in the air for a majority of the entertainment industry.
When asked how he has had to adjust his career and life around remote work and COVID, Shelem didn’t hold back.
Shelem shares…
“Funny thing, it’s made me super thankful I chose the path I did. When I was in high school I decided to go to college cause I was from a small town with no connections and I felt like that was really my only way forward. I was so sure I’d get famous and drop out before graduating, but that never happened; I graduated in 2018 with an engineering degree and I’ve been working with that ever since. When the entire entertainment industry fell on its head last year, I was just like damn I’m glad I didn’t quit my job to pursue my dreams. Instead of having to figure out how I’m gonna get paid, I was able to focus on what I can do to engage with my fans and continue to grow. Hence, this rollout. Now isn’t the time for low, or even mid-tier artists to be giving away free merch. I’m paying for all this with the money from my 9-5.”
The key take away here is: to each their own. Shelem sought security and comfort and a 9-5 was able to provide him just that so he could focus on giving away merch, building his fanbase, and investing in his career. At a glance it may appear like one giving up on their dreams, but for Shelem and many others, it is a true means to an end (that end being pure happiness and success).
Shelem also mentioned that the best professional advice he ever received was short and simple: “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.’” He goes on to explain…
“Forcing your way through life leads to a lot of mistakes and can leave you burnt out in the end. A lot of times I feel like things aren’t moving at the pace they should be, but I’ve come to appreciate the bright side to that. I’ve had time to mature and pick up on so many things that I probably would’ve had to learn the hard way. I take it slow and do my best.”
So what is ahead for Shelem in 2021 and beyond? Well for starters, he is still running a giveaway for his latest mixtape release ‘UhhYup! Bingo’ on his social media below. Shelem is committed to releasing a song every Tuesday until the end of April. During that time, he will be releasing and recording eye-popping music videos, developing new projects, and of course, continuing to engage with fans and a personal level. As an active social media advocate, be sure to follow him for his incredibly unique and ear-catching music. unbeatable marketing and branding, and an individual who is destined for success in the music industry.
Thank you for reading and as always, be sure to follow Exclusive Audio and our special guest, Shelem on our socials below!
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