Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Reeco Sheppard Jr. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Reeco thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project I’ve done or have worked on is the song I’m finishing now so it can be released January 12th next year. The song will be titled “Heir”, and it’s about my son. The planned release date is actually my son’s birthday. The song means so much to me because it’s probably one of the most personal songs I’ve ever created to date. I started writing and created the instrumental for it while my wife and I were in the hospital awaiting for her to be induced. I’m describing feelings and moments leading up to his birth and also conversing with him about my own transitions as being his father. Really looking forward to releasing this song!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a songwriter, producer, and music recording artist who goes by the moniker “CRWNZ”. The name originally came from a friend I was in a youth church rap group with called “Royalty”. I’ve contemplated changing it a few times but my really close friends and loved ones have become so invested in the brand behind the name I’ve decided to stick with it.

My origin story definitely starts with my dad. He was a gospel rapper which inspired me to try my hand at it. As I got older the material became less gospel based and more about being true to myself. I got serious about my craft about two years ago and started working with some other up and coming artist (Moflame, Knowledge the Kid, CallMeBoat, DreCnl, Fargo, and more) and dove more into understanding the art of recording and releasing music.

I believe what’s sets me apart in my music or my sound, is my honesty. I’m well aware there are over a million rappers, singers, and musical artist and each one claims they are new or different from the next. I never try to reinvent the wheel, or follow the hottest trend. I try to make what feels good to me and my friends and hope there’s someone else in the world that can relate. Sometimes i write songs about dealing with the pressures and struggles of life, other times I write about how I love my wife, my family and friends. The song themes vary but I try to always keep the material honest.

I’m most proud of the support I’ve been getting behind my music lately. I took some time off to really get used to the father role I have now. So I’ve been doing some freestyles on YouTube and Instagram to get my groove back. Utilizing social media for music marketing has been really difficult for me because I’m uncomfortably open in my music so adding social media to the mix makes me feel awkwardly vulnerable. With that being said I’ve still tried to interact and network on social media and it’s been paying off. Some of my most played songs have been getting played in Boston, Philadelphia and Canada and I believe stepping out of my comfort zone regarding social media marketing is the biggest reason why.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the connection with the listener. I’m a true fan of lyrics, I was the kid on the genius app reading each and every one of lil Wayne’s lyrics on the carter 3. So, I put a lot of thought into what I say and how I say it on a song. Im very self conscious about my songs. That’s why I love when I see someone dissecting a lyric or bar from one of my songs or freestyles. I love seeing someone excited about a line or relating to a message in a song. One of my favorite compliments came from one of my closet friends, Shaquille. He said, “I love how intricate your bars are. No matter how many times I go back and listen I find something new.”

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Year 2020, I strongly considered quitting music and selling my music equipment. I had released an ep titled “The Feelz” earlier that year that didn’t go no where near as planned. I was attempting to make more feel good music and aiming to expand to a more female based audience. The project didn’t release on time, the mixing and mastering was inconsistent. The list of problems could go on and on. After the release, I took a step back on music. I truly felt like I was stuck and not making much progress. After some self reflecting and meditating, I decided I owed it to myself and the people who believed in my art to try again. My next release, I studied the art of dropping music. I started learning to mix and master myself. I worked with my long time collab partner “Mo flame” and created a song titled “How bad”. The track was a simple question to myself, how bad do you really want this? This song has become one of my biggest records and that ep mention earlier has actually done considerably well since its release. Two of the songs from that ep have hit 500 all time plays recently. For an independent project with no videos, about love, and girls, it’s doing really well. I learned sometimes the Ls are necessary for the next level.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_crwnz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRWNZ2525
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@crwnzoffical2653

Image Credits
Credits for studio photos: Good Vibes Good Times Photography Instagram: https://instagram.com/gvgt_?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU= Cover art for “The Feelz Ep” and “How Bad” Credits to Elijah Martinez Instagram: https://instagram.com/elijahmartinez94?igshid=MDM4ZDc5MmU=