Shalone 'Gumbo Music' album

From where he’s from to where he has been, music is the foundation of his aspirations. From Jamaica to New York lies the journey of Shalone ‘s struggle and success. Shalone A.K.A Dwayne Bryan was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He is the son of Audrey Williams and George Bryan, who separated when Shalone was only 9 months of age. Soon after that his father would then move to the states in search for a better life. Without a father figure Shalone grew up without any luxuries in one of the most notorious parts of Jamaica. The sound of gunfire and the sight of dead bodies would not deter Shalone from his favorite indulgence, music!

You would find Shalone at the local stage shows, home watching Saturday afternoon specials or enjoying the marching band after school. Facing the adversities that most children of poverty face, he armed himself with the creative imagination that took him away from the poverty stricken life he walked daily.

He found his escape at the age of eleven, when he moved to America to live with his father in Paterson, New Jersey. With a studio in the basement, Shalone would take his aspirations for music to new heights. After spending 3 years with his father and recording in the studio Shalone rejoined his mother in South Jamaica, Queens. They say living in the hood breeds a mentality of survival. Either you play ball, stand on the corner or do music. Shalone was doing them all.

Petty robbery would land Shalone on Rikers Island for some time. Although hustling made survival easier, Shalone knew he was destined for greater things. Upon his departure he decided it was time for a legal hustle, and music was it. While in DC and in North Carolina the response from his music made Shalone even hungrier for stardom in the music industry. His grind, hard work ethic and love for music landed him on the chorus of Petey Pablo’s first album (The Diary of A Sinner 1st entry), on the song "Truth About Me”. Instead of the big break Shalone was expecting, things fell apart, Petey attained his star status, and with a child on the way Shalone was on the grind again. Shalone has since gone on to do features with Nore, Grafh, Bun B, Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Mussolini (Syke) from the Outlaws. Radio as well, has caught on! The airwaves in New York and along the east coast have been playing numerous songs from Shalone.

Recently Shalone’s new single “Ain’t Like We” has been burning up the airwaves across numerous demographics receiving over 600 plus spins. The video for the single has been added to the independent spotlight on bet.com for viewing. As the buzz on the record continues to grow Shalone has since performed on stage with the likes of Ludacris, Young Jeezy and T.I. Performing his music and unleashing his swag in front of thousands.

As his bright career continues Shalone is committed to perfecting his craft and being the artist he knows he is. He has a gift for painting real life emotions and pictures of real events with his ever- changing flow. It leads one to ask, why has he chosen this path? His reply is, “It’s the way people move to a mood, a sound, a voice. I have a balance to my music that people love man. Be it the hood, suburbs, or anybody in between I got that in my music”.

Shalone biography
As a young man, without the basic necessities to live or encounter what many would call a typical lifestyle, Shalone (birthed, Dwayne Bryan) was born into the poverty stricken atmosphere of Kingston, Jamaica. Despite having a mother that was consistently in and out of his life, and no father figure to guide him, this future rap artist/vocalist did what he needed to do to survive. While the constant sounds of gunfire and the sight of dead bodies embodied his ears, eyes and memories, Shalone was somehow always drawn to music. In an effort to mentally escape the drama of the blood & tears he saw in his surroundings, Shalone always found himself drawn to the stage shows in the local area, churches, and even the school marching bands where he would just observe and listen. Anywhere there was music, there was Shalone.

A true loner in every sense of the word, this rap artist/ vocalist brings much more to the table than the common rapper. He is set apart by his signature, soulful sound that was ingrained into his life from the experiences as an outsider just trying to make it. Growing up in a constant migration, Shalone left Jamaica as a young teenager and eventually found himself in the streets of Queens, New York. During that time there was a serious gang movement sweeping the city and unfortunately Shalone soon found himself caught up. From New York to North Carolina he was hustling- carrying guns & drugs in and out of town. At the early age of 16, heading nowhere fast, he landed his first and last stint in the NYC’s infamous jail, Rikers Island. When he left he vowed never to return.

Reflecting on that experience, Shalone recounts that the scariest part of being locked inside Rikers Island was the fact that he was amongst nothing but friends. Shalone immediately realized that he was steady headed down a path he really didn't want to be on. Being birthed from a mother that was constantly in and out of jail and raised in such a hostile environment, he and his brothers knew nothing but the streets.

During his trial, Shalone found out he had a daughter on the way. With his early leap into fatherhood he knew he had to get out.

He relates, "These days people think that being from the hood is having bad credit or acting hard. Well I ain't from the hood, I'm from the ghetto and I don't think hard life is cool." Shalone recounts, "In the ghetto there was no Christmas. Everyday we used to walk around barefoot and never know what we were going to get into or where the day was going to take us. I really can't glorify that. If you've ever been through some real hard times in your life, you'll know you're not trying to talk about it. You're trying to get out. Music changed my life."

Following a couple of different ventures that helped Shalone progress to another level, he linked up with some business partners to form his own 'OurBit the Label.' One of his first singles, a soulful heart-felt blend of motivation with a street sound, "Where I Belong" gained him some recognition and feed his buzz amongst his peers and hip hop station Hot 97 heavyweights alike. His follow-up single "Ain't Like We" earned him his respect amongst the industry's most notable figureheads and catapulted his buzz achieving hundreds of mix show spins across the country. His undeniable talent has landed him the privilege to grace stages all over the country. Shalone has been seen performing on the Lyricist Lounge Tour. Most recently he was an opening act for Hot 97's Holiday Bash at Nassau Coliseum. To date Shalone has touched the stage with the likes of major artists such as Scarface, Eric Sermon, MOP, Ludacris, Young Jeezy, Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, Busta Rhymes, and T.I.

It's no doubt Shalone has come a long way from the days of his maladjusted youth and will continue to shine even brighter. His hip-hop credits to date include mentions on the chorus of Petey Pablo’s first album (The Diary of A Sinner 1st entry), and collaborations on songs with artists such as Nore, Grafh, Bun B, Joell Ortiz, and Mussolini (aka Big Syke) from the Outlaws.

Currently in the final stages of wrapping up his first EP, Shalone is making music that reveals many different layers. A vast difference from the one-dimensional approach that is frequented by a lot of today's contemporary hip-hop artist Shalone explains, "I'm bringing out the freedom of music. I'm bringing that spirit back. A lot of artist these days are too insecure to take that risk with their career. This is why you'll notice that they'll really always continue to make the same type of records. I've always been credited with being very different. There isn't just one way to describe me. I've been everywhere-and I'll always have that reflected in my music." Shalone has created his own lane, a hybrid of his love of rap (with his inspirations from 2pac, Biggie & Method Man) and the rhythm of classic artists like Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley, and Bob Marley.

From New York, to Miami, to California Shalone continues to touch the stage contributing his soulful sound and funky blend of music, pushing hip hop forward to a place that has yet to be seen. In Shalone's words, "It's GUMBO music!"

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Shalone - Gumbo Music