Shaz illyork

Born Robert Rodriguez on January 13, 1983, and raised in Astoria, Queens, New York City, Shaz grew up in a broken home. He started life on the streets from an early age. His family moved around all corners of Queens; Astoria, Woodhaven, Howard Beach, and Jamaica giving young Shaz a sample of the multiple cultures that dwell in New York City. He was only eleven when he realized his passion for lyrics and rhyme with the help of two radios. Money was scarce and it wasn’t long until he dove deeper into the hip hop world through a life of graffiti, hustling, and racking.
In October 2004, Shaz’s years of delinquent behavior got himself arrested and put away for 5 years. It was during his prison stint that he found music and writing again. Shortly after his release in ‘09, Shaz began performing at open mics, most notably Manhattan’s revered "End of the Weak", the longest running open mic series at Club Pyramid. These cultivated performances gave this artist on the rise much recognition and acclaim. His escalating following led him to release the single Pain Killers in July 2010 and received over 10,000 views on youtube.com.
Shaz, now 27, knows no bounds in getting his music across to mainstream ears. His debut EP, High, Fly & Broke (October 2010), is homage to where he has been, where he is now, and where he is going.