Shack Deville

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Shack Deville grew up in a close knit family on the Westside of Charlotte in the Oaklawn neighborhood. Raised in a household where he was the son of devout Christians and baby boomers, and an older brother that was eleven years his elder, he was exposed to gospel, golden oldies, rock, and hip-hop at an early age, which ultimately influenced his musical direction. The things he witnessed as a youngster in the less than reputable area of the Queen City, such as drug dealing, violence, and lack of economic opportunity, became ammunition for what would become a music career.

At the age of 13, Shack began making beats under the tutelage of his older cousin, who operated his own indie label in Charlotte, North Carolina. His introduction to songwriting and rapping would come at the age of 17 as a high school junior. Now displaced in Charleston, South Carolina as result of his parent's marital differences, Shack was encouraged by a friend in William Smith to try his hand at recording a few records after a spirited freestyle session in between classes the day before. He recorded an EP, which caught the ears of his peers, but it was ultimately a side attraction to his main passion, which was football. Shack went on to play division one college football at the illustrious South Carolina State University.

While in college as a full-time student-athlete, music became less and less of a priority, as aspirations of becoming a professional athlete and the demands of higher education occupied most of his time and energy. In 2013, Shack suffered a career ending knee injury in the beginning of his junior season. Having surgery that November, he returned home to Charleston to recover. Dejected and depressed after coming to terms with his football career being cut short, he began to slip into addiction with the painkillers prescribed to him from the operation. His friend William learned about the situation, and brought the studio equipment to his house to be able to record while recovering from his procedure. Standing with the help of crutches, Shack recorded over ten songs in his bedroom closet, and released them via Soundcloud over the Holiday break, which garnered a lot of attention and praise from his college peers. Music slowly began to fill the void that football had left behind. By the time physical therapy was over, he decided that music was the career path he wanted to take.

Since then, Shack Deville has released many mixtapes that have created a buzz around his artistic persona. Combining his southern flavor over a diverse array of production is what he prides himself on. Influenced by such artists as Nas, Scarface, Master P, Guru, Pimp C, Jay-Z and Raekwon, Shack isn't one to shy away from lyrical craftsmanship, or experimental elements in his music. Blending social commentary with the flash and glamor often associated with hip-hop, he stays true to the roots of the culture, and plans to carry the torch for the rap game for years to come.