Shaun White, once “South Solider” but more recently turned “Hook King”, is the man behind the melody. We meet him at his studio in South London, a place he spends almost every waking hour. This is the hive of activity and is where we want to be.
Before long we realise sleep around these parts is a rarity. He and his two producers who sit quietly in the corner of the room have been working in the dim light for almost 24 hours non-stop. Thankfully, as tired as he must be, Shaun is more than happy to pose for the camera. He is a natural but tells us he doesn’t like pictures.
Understandably music is more instinctive for Shaun, he’s been doing it a long time now. In fact you may remember ‘South Soldiers’, a grime collective put together by him back in 2004. The outfit fronted 2005’s ‘Don’t Trigger Campaign’, toured up and down the country, and their record ‘Heads Up’ (an anti-gun crime track) received widely acclaimed success across the capital. Shaun and fellow South Solider Big Ven then went on to create ‘FR3E’. The duo’s biggest hit came in the form of their funky track ‘Tribal Skank’, which in 2009 saw the pair P.A. over 200 times nationally.
Fast forward to 2011 and Shaun has released his first solo mixtape ‘Hooks and Verses Vol. 1’. It is a project of incredible perfection… but we would not have expected anything less. The collaborations’ list is enormous and there are not just any old features. The remix to Fr3e’s smash single ‘Round Here’ (originally featuring Young Spray) is sprinkled effortlessly with tones of UK’s best rap talent in the form of Cerose, Jaja Soze and Blade Brown. Stand out tracks are aplenty, the Young Money ‘Bedrock’ sounding ‘Pleasurable Pain’ boasts humorous verses from Big Ven and M Dot E. ‘Like You’ is one of the more personal tracks on the mixtape, serving as bio of Shaun’s life, where as other tracks, such as ‘Tag’ showcases a lyrically entertaining “to and fro” between himself and Big Ven.
What is clear is Shaun can turn his hand to most things. The hooks are catchy and sung well, his lyrics truthful, and at times emotive. He tells us his hooks are more melodic than anyone else’s and we wouldn’t disagree, even Shaun’s rap verses are jam-packed with melody. In his craft he oozes originality and feeling, a feat that certainly sets him apart from others. And guess what? Excitingly we are in for more of a treat very soon! Indeed Shaun plans to release ‘Hooks and Verses Vol. 2’ at the end of April. Shaun speaks of collaborations with artists Ghetts and Skepta. We are now itching even more to hear what he has got hiding.
As our interview draws to a close most apparent is Shaun’s passion for his profession. As he explains there is a damn good reason why he grafts so hard, “I’m trying to be a music mogul in this game”, he articulates confidently, “I want to be not only an artist or a musician but a business man. I want to create my own empire, my own lane and my own path in this.” Undisputedly Shaun will get there and it should not be too long either. He has all the cuttings of a successful young man; talent, drive and the mindset of a winner. “A lot of people break through and get noticed but whether they have longevity is another question.” Shaun needn’t worry about longevity, he has that mastered.
Article & Interview Written by Jada Guest
Photography by Alexa Claire
Shaun White’s Hooks & Verses Vol. 2 will be available for download around the end of April. You can download Shaun’s Hooks & Verses Vol. 1 directly from ukrapmusic.com via the link below.
Fr3e’s follow up single to ‘Round Here’, entitled ‘Be Ok’, is on Shaun’s Youtube channel now (link below), an official video for the track will be dropping very soon. Big Ven’s mixtape, as yet untitled, is due for release in April.
Fr3e Website: www.fr3e.co.uk
Shaun White Twitter: @ShaunWhiteFr3e
Shaun White Facebook: www.facebook.com/shaunwhitefr3e
Shaun White Youtube: www.youtube.com/shaunwhitemusic
To read more of my articles and interviews please visit my site (itsjada.com) and make sure you follow me on Twitter for regular updates.
