We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shaadie Nunnally a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shaadie, appreciate you joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?
Yes I feel that all that time as a black male in the hip-hop scene from the Bay Area. Looking how I look, I automatically get boxed in to a certain type/style of rap. yet when you actually listen to my music, the lyrics & how I present myself & material, you’ll see that I’m usually far from what you expected in a good way. I come off as street & hood, which is true, but the end result is that I’m more substances filled, witty, conscious & smooth with rough edges. It takes a little while to catch on to my style, but once you do you become hooked to my authenticity.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m known for being an adapter, a dot connector, a puzzle creator & plug of all things entertainment. I’m what you can call a Renaissance Man when it comes to being creative within entertainment. I’m a music artist, songwriter, studio owner & operator, event coordinator, event host, TV personality, news media producer, entertainment director & a hallway to many doors to help entertainers, entrepreneurs & business reach their goals & place them in the best opportunities & platforms. Nothing was given to me. I’ve had to go through the fire & all the trials & tribulations to learn what to do & not to do from the mistakes & snakes I’ve come across. Having to deal with haters, technology changes in ways we release music, create music & present music along with all the everyday struggles of being a husband, a father & a black man in America just adds to the daily tasks of simply surviving with a smile in style.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Over the past 3 years or so I have been transition into more of a spokesman/host/pitchman as opposed to simply being a performing artist. I still get time on stage, I still get to work with & rub elbows with those in the entertainment & music industry, yet I have a different role & way of showcasing my artistic talents on stage as an event emcee/host. I still continue to record music, but aside from the commercial music that is more story telling, personal & therapeutic for me to create, I have been able to use my songwriting ability in a more fulfilling way by creating custom jingles & theme music for brands, tv/film & events. There are many ways to work within the industry without having to be a touring/performing/recording artist. I have been blessed with being able to wear many hats that can service the entertainment realm & so rather than box myself into a category, I prefer to spread my wings & fill the voids of entertainment needs wherever I am.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect is being able to see the joy from the end result of my creative piece. Whether its music, performance, a speech etc. seeing the audience positive reaction to the work that I put in is always an amazing thing to see & feel. Getting the feedback from people hearing my music & sharing their thoughts on what they felt from what they heard is always nice to know that people are paying attention.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linqapp.com/shaadie/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamshaadie
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shaadiemusic
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashaadnunnally/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/teamshaadie
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/shaadboy