Shawn Noize

When you think of College Station, the number one thing that comes to mind is the legendary Aggies of Texas A&M, but if you take a closer look you will find there is a new legend coming out of College Station and in place of a football he is pushing a mic. Recently CenTexHipHop.com caught up with the new kid out of College Station who goes by the name of Shawn Noize.

CTHH: So for people who don’t know tell us a little about yourself:

SN: My name is Shawn Noize, I’m from Bryan/College station. I have been rapping since the age of 14 and I make hip hop music.

CTHH: How did you get to Bryan/College Station?

SN: Well I was born in Rhode Island, and then moved to Tampa at a young age so I was pretty much raised in Tampa. I moved to College Station about seven years ago and have been here ever since.

CTHH: If you had to classify your music, what would you call it?

SN: I would call it emotional hip-hop. It’s that kind of music that is raw and real, it’s about the struggle and the pain the things that deal with my life. Real.

CTHH: So you were in the military?

SN: Yeah I was in the military for a few years, it helped me grow a little bit, it made me accept life.

CTHH: How did that affect your music?

SN: Being in the military it kind of molded me (when it came to my music). I was overseas in Afghanistan and I had the chance to see a different way of life, I saw how they were living and I was like “damn they have it pretty bad”. It made me think “my life isn’t that bad”. At the same time it made me want to put my story out there and let people how my life was and that if someone had the same situations in life that they could relate.

CTHH: You have a track called Saw Em Off, what is the story behind that?

SN: Two years ago my homeboy Mo Watts did a beat with a sample of the Aggie band in it and it was huge out here. He got approached by a local radio station that wanted him to make them their personal theme song. He approached me and asked me if I wanted to make the song and we collaborated and made Saw Em Off. The song took off pretty good. It was interesting for me to make because I’m not from Aggieland and I didn’t go to A&M but when I moved down here I picked up on the some of the traditions & culture. The song trended out pretty good it got a lot of play out here.

CTHH: Musically how do you fit in the College Station music scene?

SN: The grind is just like everywhere else. It’s just like a big city, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio except for it is just a smaller area. In this small area there are many artists out here trying to do the rap music and the hip-hop music so we are all kinda pushing for that one spot. It’s similar to any city as far as people grinding. The music scene aint bad, it’s got a taste of Houston with the screw and trap music.

CTHH: How do you fit in in the College Station scene?

SN: I’m different here because I make actual hip hop. Many artists are doing the dance music and fun music, that’s just their preference but I’m the only one that’s out here trying to do something with this hip-hop. There are a-lot of good artist out here and we are all just trying to make a name for ourselves.

CTHH: You have been on the same ticket as some very well know artist, what was your most
memorable?

SN: I would say the show I was on with Kirko Bangz. The show was in Abiline and when we got out there they thought I was this huge superstar! It was kinda surreal but it gave me a taste of the lifestyle that I plan on having in the future.

CTHH: Many people have said hip-hop today is commercial, is there such thing as too commercial?

SN: I wouldn’t say it’s too commercial. I would say that hip-hop is going more in the pop range and more into catchy jingles and flashy beats. But then I look at someone like Kendrick Lamar who sticks to his style and works with it. Even his most commercial song was not industry commercial it was hip-hop commercial; it wasn’t too pop it was a smooth beat and something you could vibe to.

CTHH: What direction would you like to go with your music in the industry?

SN: As far as making my music commercial I wouldn’t go too far. I want to make music that people can vibe too without having to dance. I’m not a dance music person, never been a dance music person. I just want to make that music that real hip hop something you can vibe to. I wouldn’t mind reaching a certain demographic. I have one track that is a more Universal feel (no one is everything) but that is as far as I would go.
SN: Next up I’m releasing a mixtape that is dropping on the 21st, we are out here setting up shows for SXSW, shooting videos, working on our clothing line, we are out here trying to build our brand and make some major moves.CTHH: What are some of the projects that you have going on in the near future?

CTHH: What can people expect from you album dropping on the 21st?

SN: The album is titled N.O.Iz.E. (No One Iz Everything). This is just me. - CenTex Hip-Hop