Shawn Smith is one of Roc Nation’s new spitters, and he’s here to declare his place in the rap game. Hailing from Southwest Philadelphia — home to the greats such as The Roots, Jill Scott, Eve, Musiq Soulchild, and Jazmine Sullivan — the rising star carves his own lane, equipped with braggadocious bars, vivid storytelling in his lyrics, and a super down-to-earth personality.
Most recently, Shawn Smith unveiled his highly-anticipated EP titled Hope Dealer, an eight-track project that resides somewhere in between soul and Hip-Hop. This is Shawn telling his story as an ambitious rapper who’s here to prove dreams do come true if you work hard and stay true to yourself.
Shawn recently unveiled the official music video for “Up If You Need Me,” which was inspired by hope itself. He explains, “I wanted to create a record that gave me a feel Kanye used to give me – as a kid who loves Hip-Hop, cartoons and soulful music. I love the beat so I wrote the lyrics while it was being made! I truly believe this is a record that can last generations on.”
The three-minute visual sees Shawn connecting with the streets of Philly, which Shawn describes as “the youth that only sees the world as superheroes and storylines.” It features Bikelife Rex, which is the perfect example of a Philly superhero the way he does his stunts on the bikes. It was also fun for Shawn, who hadn’t rode a bike in years!
The message for fans? “I want them to be inspired to love on their family and create art! I want the drums to put everyone in an inspired and upbeat attitude and I want the video to be preserved as art and testimony to how beautiful and fun Philly life can look. I want to be a comic book superhero to people who need an inspiration. Especially to children who feel like they can do anything after admiring something, that was me as a child.”
