In a period where many contemporaries may have become smug off the strength of his musical cosigns, rapper Shawn Smith is striving to set the bar higher. Creating memorable moments at popular outlets such as the “Sway in the Morning” radio show or during the BET Hip Hop Awards’ “Cypher” segment became a means to remind listeners of the love he carries for his city.
And Philadelphia has gifted some of music’s most prolific voices generationally. From Jill Scott to The Roots, Left Eye, State Property, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Will Smith, Eve, Musiq Soulchild, Jazmine Sullivan, and innumerable others, Shawn Smith remains immersed in the sounds he was born into. “Throughout the city, you would see artists personally. Knowing they came from the same streets as me inspired me,” he told The Knockturnal.
Fresh off the release of his introspective collaboration, “Paint The Sky,” with Tdot Illdude, the emcee is optimistic about what this year is preparing him for. “I really do not want to get boxed in,” Shawn Smith explained on Zoom. Together we unpacked what 50 years of hip-hop substantiated, how Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work ethic influenced how he approaches his craft musically, and why JAY-Z is a role model. Read the exclusive conversation with Shawn Smith here.
The Knockturnal: What led you to music?
Shawn Smith: My love for art and poetry led me to music. I started out being inspired to write verses because my big brother used to rap. So, I got turned on because I liked everything he liked.
My big brother was an upcoming rapper when I was younger. He used to run around with Foxy Brown and artists like that. He is from Brooklyn. He was working on a freestyle tape around the time I was nine. But he put me on to Kanye West. It was an early Kanye West mixtape, too.
My brother began writing verses. So, I started writing verses because I wanted to be around him more. I actually began loving [the process]. Rap music is nothing but amplified culture. I was living that culture every day.
Also, I lived in a household that played music all day. My Pops used to dress like rappers. My neighborhood was dangerous. So, there were aspects of culture [all around me].
The Knockturnal: You paid homage to State Property in your latest video, “Chain Gang Freestyle.” What did the rap collective inspire in you growing up?
Shawn Smith: Well, State Property is legendary! And being from the same city meant I did not just see things televised. Throughout the city, you would see artists personally. Knowing they came from the same streets as me inspired me. It inspired me to believe that this could happen.
The Knockturnal: Please describe your experience collaborating with Don Cannon.
Shawn Smith: It was such an honor to collaborate with Don Cannon because he is a staple and legend in the game. You work so hard to get next to certain people. It does not happen when you expect [it to]. You do not even realize how close you actually are. It still has not even hit me that I worked with Don Cannon. Now, every day I am more and more happy about it.
The Knockturnal: Who are your musical influences?
Shawn Smith: My influences began with my mom playing R&B. There was Mary J. Blige, Ms. Lauryn Hill, and Deniece Williams. There was all the good 90s stuff. My mom used to run that heavy.
On the rap side, my big brother taught me about 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G., off the rip. All the greats, JAY-Z, Lil Wayne, and everybody.
The Knockturnal: Black Thought and Lil Uzi Vert are supporters of your artistry. How does it feel to have figures from your city behind you?
Shawn Smith: It definitely helps. Even with them being from two different areas, it is an honor to tap in with both. I am not one-dimensional. Philly is really broad on a creative level. We have rock stars and legendary rooted rappers — no pun intended (Laughs).
The Knockturnal: I was going to ask.
Shawn Smith: Yeah, I have been happy to connect with people from different walks of creativity (Laughs). I feel that is important.
The Knockturnal: Your faith is mentioned frequently in your music. What role does spirituality play in your creative process?
Shawn Smith: I ain’t gon’ lie. I am a heavy spiritual boy. I have been influenced by everything spiritual since I was a kid. My family is not necessarily a church family.
Even so, I think I have a lot of emotional awareness that I put into my music. What comes with that awareness is higher learning and reflection. I do not ignore the things I feel are real for my walk and life (Laughs).
The Knockturnal: As a means to be respectful, do you want to acknowledge your religious background?
Shawn Smith: Yes, I believe in God. I believe in Jesus.
The Knockturnal: For context, I asked that because I recently connected with another artist from Philly, and they were empathetic about Islam teachings being prominent in the city. So, I did not want to assume.
Shawn Smith: I hear you! There are a lot of Muslims in Philly. A lot of my family I grew up with is Muslim. Of course, everybody’s walk with faith is slightly different. But I have learned that everybody wants to lean on love and be taught by God. If you are that [type of person], no matter which God you are into, I do not judge people.
The Knockturnal: It was not a judgment. It was me making sure I was thorough on my end. I do not leave anything to assumption.
Shawn Smith: Oh, nah! I was not talking about you. I was more so making a statement (Laughs). Sorry, I ain’t mean it like that. A lot of people feel as though if you include faith in your music, it can create a separation. And I do not like that. I want to be close to everybody, regardless of their beliefs. It is about relationships and communion.
The Knockturnal: You are referenced as “Philly’s hip-hop Renaissance man.” Can you unpack that for those becoming acquainted with your music?
Shawn Smith: I might have said that in one of my rants and speeches one day (Laughs). For one, I am into a lot of different things. I do not think people know that outside of rap. People say, “He is just a rapper. He raps so well!”
But I am into people, period. I am into learning, observing, and how [I can] teach people. I walk with people, and everything I do is rooted in either art or people. I love different art forms outside of rap. I would love to write films. I love to act and fashion. I feel fashion is important because it is an expression on the outside.
One day, when it’s all said and done, I’ll be old and legendary. People [won’t be able to] just say, “Oh, he is a fire rapper.” N****s will be like, “Nah! That’s Shawn Smith.” My Wikipedia page is going to read like, “Author, humanitarian, boom!” Anything else that involves helping people is what I am going to do. I am a Renaissance man.
The Knockturnal: So, becoming a philanthropist is aspirational?
Shawn Smith: Yes! I am scared of terms, though. I feel I have to live up to something in everything I do. Down to the way I walk, I want it to be innovative. It is not something I try. It is not something that [makes me say], “Oh, I’m tryna be seen.”
No, I have been like that since I was a child. I set new trends. Even in hip-hop, we might be off the question a little bit, but I have brought a lot of exciting lines and metaphors to hip-hop that people have not even said yet. Do you know what I am saying?
The Knockturnal: There is a certain thoughtfulness involved in everything you do.
Shawn Smith: Yes, for sure. It is always angled as, “What can I bring new to the game that people can use after?” I never try to follow the same blueprint.
The Knockturnal: What did the 10 tracks on Sink or Swim: A Shawn Smith Story prepare you for as a businessman?
Shawn Smith: I am a lover of art and creating art. But business is different. I fell in love with even the art of business.
The Knockturnal: In what sense?
Shawn Smith: It is very important. I would say that you learn business like anything else in life — maybe by making mistakes. Sometimes you make the wrong decisions. Actually, sometimes you learn by winning! I have been doing music for so long that I have made every mistake an artist can make. It is inevitable.
Now, I can see things bigger than just an art perspective. Sometimes I see things in numbers. Sometimes I [quantify] things by impact. Sometimes it takes putting my ego aside and being aware enough to go outside myself and learn how people feel me.
From Sink or Swim: A Shawn Smith Story, I was worried about being the hottest rapper and spittin’ the hottest verses you heard in your life. Up to this point, I am interested in rapping cool, but more so connecting with people and having my sound broadened enough to where more types of people can fuck with me. I am still learning.
The Knockturnal: There have been several releases since then. In what ways has your sound evolved?
Shawn Smith: My sound evolved once I started to work with producers who gave me the platform to do so. When I started working with Weathrman on my EP Til Death Do Us Art, he made many beats from scratch in front of me. I approached a lot of the [recording] differently. It was more of an open-arms vibe to create a feeling rather than just lock in on words. Some people listen to music sonically, and others just listen to the words.
On that project, I wanted more feeling than anything. I freestyled a lot of it. I had fun with it. I lent my voice in different ways. And it was not because I wanted to. The producers would sometimes [extend feedback]. It was not what I was used to. But, if you trust the producer and he knows what he is doing, it comes out hot. You can listen to it later and say, “I did not know I could do that.” I have been able to grow by working with people I respect.
The Knockturnal: With acknowledgment of that, is producing something that you lean into, or is that process more so collaborative?
Shawn Smith: I guess it depends [when it comes to the production of the beats]. Sometimes people have tracks already. However, I always have something I want to hear. If we’re cookin’ up together, I know exactly how I need the beat to sound. I like to be hands-on, but not enough to be annoying a producer too much. Sometimes you have to let them rock out.
The Knockturnal: What is the greatest advice you received concerning navigating the music industry?
Shawn Smith: The standard greatest advice, I feel, would be to network. Networking is cool, but consistently tapping into the music is the most important thing. It ain’t always about trying to make that one big grand slam out of the park.
Most of the time, when I watch Jean-Michel [Basquiat archives], he is never just working on one piece that he is overthinking. He does not drop, go away for a couple of years, and then come back with another big one. Everything was organically coming out. And he was working on eight of them at the same time.
The Knockturnal: Would you say you are more immersed in the craft and mastering it?
Shawn Smith: Yes, I am mastering it, but I release without being held to a certain standard all the time. If you hot, you just hot! N****s just want to hear you rap and the vibes that you are putting out. They ain’t tryna wait till it’s so grand. The game is not like before, where you want to drop and have a mystique and for people to wait on you. They just want to hear everything that you are feeling.
The Knockturnal: You pride yourself as a lyricist. How important is pushing your pen ahead of recording?
Shawn Smith: I do not know if I am a lyricist because I am trying to portray that or if it is because I just really enjoy playing with words. I would still be playing with words if I was not a rapper. There are some rappers whose pen I do not feel is crazy. Still, they give you a huge impact on the track… whatever the beat requires, that is where I will take them.
The Knockturnal: Your team’s recent pitch acknowledges Mr. Carter as a fan of your work. What does that cosign mean to you?
Shawn Smith: Well, it means a lot because JAY-Z is my favorite rapper. He is a role model. It is not just about the rap with JAY-Z. It is about the history, opportunity, and platform he created. It is about how he moves.
So, it is an honor to be in the same places, chop it up, shake hands, or work with JAY-Z. He is somebody that has been doing this for a long time. He has endured the test of time. I really feel like standing the test of time is the true key. There have been a lot of people who have been hot.
He is someone who tore the game up. JAY-Z has been hot for so long. He has also been great at many other things and created platforms for others. That is the position I want to be in one day.
The Knockturnal: What do you want your growing fan base to know about Southwest Philadelphia?
Shawn Smith: Southwest Philadelphia is where everything that I create comes from. That is where everything is rooted. Like all great creativity, everything that I create comes from childhood. That is when your mind is free. I spent mine running around Philly. I wouldn’t want to be from anywhere else.
The Knockturnal: This year marks 50 years of hip-hop. What has this culture done for you?
Shawn Smith: This culture has been an outlet and confirmed so much for a kid like me, born into circumstances that were against him. We did not have the most amazing schools. We did not have the most amount of money. There was violence in my neighborhood.
And the only thing that can keep you happy is saying, “I can be the shit one day.” My teachers don’t tell me that. My parents are too busy working… tryna survive. You can’t go anywhere to figure out who you are. Something like hip-hop creates [a new perspective]. As a kid, that was rock star shit to me. The rappers are rock stars.
I thought, “They made it out of this ‘hood.” Now, those people have money. They can take care of their family. They look fly. They’re talking up. They are a voice. We ain’t talking about just being free mentally and creatively. We are talking about being free physically and financially.
[These artists] made generational switches. There is so much I could say. Hip-hop being the thing that gives us a voice is what makes it so important. Without it, they’d be trying to shut us up. They would not listen to us. And now, we have this [culture] that is the biggest thing in the world.
The Knockturnal: You have multiple projects en route. What should fans be looking out for?
Shawn Smith: The fans should be looking out for anything I am connected to: visuals, music, a series, and films. I really do not want to get boxed in. So, play all the projects. Give me a fair shot as an artist to be broad and open up. I want to stretch myself as far as I can go. I want to make cool shit for the culture.
The Knockturnal: Ultimately, how do you wish to be remembered?
Shawn Smith: As long as I can change the game and make way for the next generation… I am cool with being remembered as that. I want to be somebody who paved the way. [I want to be remembered] like, “He really did it!”