We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sister Shalom a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sister, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I think a part of me has always wanted to follow a creative path, but I never considered pursuing music professionally until about three years ago. A few months before the pandemic started, I was in the process of having my first record produced. This was the first song I had written in my newfound way back to music. When quarantine hit, I had no way of collaborating with producers. During that time, we hadn’t mastered the whole “virtual” concept yet. So, I had to take matters into my own hands and started producing music on my own. I recorded my first song as a voice memo on my iPhone, and edited the audio using the iMovie app. Though it was an unconventional way of producing a song, it sounded as if it had been recorded in a real studio. When I realized what I could do with a few apps, I started buying more equipment to help me become more efficient at what I was doing. Even starting out, many people couldn’t tell I was a beginner based on the quality of music I was making. I begin to realize that I can really do this, I can really make music. It was like a gift had fell into my lap, and I made the choice pursue music professionally because I didn’t want my gift to go to waste.
Sister, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m originally from Atlanta, GA born and raised, but I’ve been residing in Dallas, TX for nearly 5 years. Though singing, rapping, and making music is something I’ve been doing my whole life, I never considered music as a professional path until now. I’m a Christian artist. I make mostly Christian Hip Hop music, but I have a wide range of offerings that can be suitable for any audience. What sets me apart is that I’ve already been set apart by God. He called me to do His will, and I answered. I am therefore committed to walking in my purpose and doing the will of the Father. My belief and faith in God are the premise of who I am, and those values are deeply incorporated into my music.
I’m proud of how far I’ve come on my journey in such a short period of time. Going from recording songs on my phone, to producing my first full album is something I’m proud of. I’m proud of the resilience I’ve shown despite the obstacles I’ve faced along the way. I’m proud to have committed listeners who value what I stand for. I want my brand to be identified by the values that are important to me. My values are built on the integrity of the Word of God, and I want those values to be perceived through my brand, my image, and through my music.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is having the ability to have a positive impact on other people’s lives. I put a lot of thought into how to relay my message because I know music can have either a positive or negative impact on people’s lives. I know music can provoke thoughts and feelings, so I’m particular about my lyrics and meticulous about the beats I match the lyrics to. I spend a lot of time considering how the song could impact someone’s life. So, when people tell me how much of a positive impact my music has had on them or tell me how my music encouraged or inspired them, it’s a gratifying feeling. Just knowing that I can have such a positive impact on someone’s life and potentially draw them closer to the Word of God is the biggest reward for me.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I know the pandemic was hard for everyone, but I had an especially hard time coping during the pandemic. In the wake of the pandemic, I went through an unexpected change that left me without a place to live, and I was forced to move back home to Georgia. Subsequently, the entire year was filled with trials and obstacles that sometimes I felt were too hard to face. I fell into a state of depression for several months and during this time I was becoming more detached from the Word of God. I couldn’t figure out at the time that God was testing me, and I was failing miserably. When I realized that I was losing faith during one of the most critical times to have faith, I knew I had to bring myself out of that state otherwise it could be detrimental. When I started back putting faith in God, praying, and exercising faith every day, that’s when things started to turn around for me. I’m grateful for what I went through at that time because those experiences are what helped build my faith as the servant of God I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unitedmasters.com/sister-shalom
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sister__shalom/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100078219465800
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sister_Shalom
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYIL8FfHTvlIi1HrRGL9JIQ/videos
Image Credits
Pradeep S.