One of Sweden’s most important music showcase events Live at Heart is being held in Örebro on 4th to 7th September and one of the artists making an appearance is British rapper ShaoDow. We had the chance to talk to him ahead of his visit to Sweden.
Although ShaoDow has visited Sweden before, this is his first time performing here and he is excited to introduce his style of music to a new country, hoping to gain some brand new fans as a result.
The music I make, the way I approach my career, even the way I perform are all different to what’s expected so it’s always a joy for me to bring my style to a new audience.
ShaoDow describes his music as a representation of himself, his interests and his personality. He calls it intelligent, positive rap music delivered with maximum passion. If you’re into intricate lyricism, heavy beats, games, anime and honest expression, this is something you should check out.
Essentially, my music, visual style, music videos and artistic persona are all an accurate representation of who I am as a person. There’s no gimmicks or calculated faking when it comes to my career, just real experience and real passion for enhancing and advancing my life and expressing that through music.
ShaoDow has won the Hardest Working Artist award at the AIM Independent Music Awards 2017, so this guy is really putting in his all for his art.
But there’s more to ShaoDow than his music. He lived in China and studied Kung Fu when he was younger and he says the experience changed his life for the better. His keen interest on all things Oriental has for example taken him to the UK version of Ninja Warrior. He also speaks Japanese because of his interest in anime, and what’s more – he’s released his own manga book, The Way of Shao. And oh yeah, he’s also got a law degree… Talk about a multipotentialite!
Earlier this year ShaoDow was invited to the UK Parliament to speak on behalf of small music venues around the country.
This was a massive honour for me as a full-time rapper, I never expected to one day be invited into one of the most powerful places in the country and to have a real opportunity to affect change for the UK Music industry.
There is still a lot of prejudice and misunderstanding surrounding Hip Hop, Grime and Rap, despite the fact that it’s constantly topping the charts and is one of the most culturally influential musical styles at the moment.
It can still be difficult for up and coming rappers to get bookings, support, funding and recognition, so ShaoDow feels strongly about the issue. This is part of the reason he is launching the first ever degree course in the UK for Rappers and MCs with the ACM.
I want to do my part wherever possible to elevate the perception of both my music and the genre it exists within.
Check out ShaoDow’s rhymes on the video below, and if you’re at Live at Heart, make sure not to miss his showcases on the 5th and 6th of September.
