Shemaiah James Dough Interview

Like a resilient mountain that bows to no wind, nothing seems to break the spirit of Brisbane-based artist Shemaiah James in the midst of this pandemic, as he drops his newest single 'Dough', now available on all streaming platforms.

This gritty motivational track written by Shemaiah himself"with production by UK producer Hozeiiii, mixing and mastering by Brookfield athlete-musician .Ron"is a modest flex of the hustle this emerging artist has done to break through onto the hip hop scene. This groove-filled track tells the story of how Shemaiah endures the daily grind to "shape his own future", until the rewarding precipice of his hard work is reached. 'Dough' may just be the newest anthem for all the hustlers out there, reminding them to keep on going!

"Make your dreams a reality, don't be passive and go out and make something happen. Keep moving forward. Turn every loss into a lesson learned.""Shemaiah James

Shemaiah already started writing songs as early as eight years old. Since then, he has been making music that "adds value to someone's life". Like the subtle nudge and cheer that 'Dough' gives off to its listeners, Shemaiah makes it a point to create music that will motivate others.

Among others, he is influenced by the nuanced storytelling style that American rapper J.Cole incorporates in his music, as well as the versatility of Canadian rapper Drake throughout his career. Sonically, Shemaiah takes great inspiration from the sound of Joyner Lucas.

In 2017, Shemaiah performed as a support act for Brisbane Hip Hop Artist IIIConic at WOOLLY Mammoth, while his music was previewed in a 4ZZZ interview. Since then, he has been building up his sound so he can connect more to his growing fanbase.

Shemaiah will be performing at the Flamin Galah on November 15th, as a support act for Brisbane Hip Hop Artist Amity. He is definitely up to the challenge of chasing one glory to another, so make sure to follow his socials down below for more updates on his upcoming releases and shows!

Interview with Shemaiah James

Question: How would you describe your music?

Shemaiah James: I would say my music is very versatile where I am constantly learning and adapting to new styles, genres and vibes. I have a very creative process and a lot of stories to tell which depending on the type of track, I can channel a story to suit the vibe of the track. My music consists of stories and motivational tracks which aim to make the listener uplifted.


Question: Can you tell us about your new song Dough?

Shemaiah James: My new song dough while seeming very straight forward " I want to get my dough" It is a gritty song that aims to push those listening forward in life and strive for more. I always want to continue pushing boundaries and finally when all the boundaries are pushed, I would like the satisfaction of feeling accomplished from those goals that I had set out. Whether that being my work, music, sport etc these are all areas I've dedicated my life's work towards, so I want to take the next step pass the grind and start achieving the goals I've set out. I want people to feel that same energy from listening to the track. I tell it how it is on this track by stating my worth, saying I don't want to wait and also saying when I plan to achieve everything by.


Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Shemaiah James: I find getting the recordings to sound exactly how I want difficult, but now that I have started collabing with other artists and producers, they have really taken the stress away and let me focus on the music. I love the performance side, because I believe I am built to perform and I am a showman. The audience gets to also see a different side of me when I perform because I can usually be shy or quiet vs when I perform I really bring the energy.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Shemaiah James: Dough 100% is going to be my favourite. I believe my other track Heir will be a close second place. I guess we will have to wait and see. I believe DOUGH because once I get into the flow of the 2nd verse, everyone will be hooked. But HEIR also has a very big build up at the start of the track which will be amazing in a performance setting.


Question: You've been writing songs since the age of 8! What did you write about?

Shemaiah James: Girls lol and having money which was all a lie! That's all I knew to write about which 1. I didn't have the money and 2. I had no game which is expected around the age of 8, Some are available on my Soundcloud. I also did have some songs which were more about triumph. But the story telling aspect came later in life when I mature a bit.


Question: What motivates you most when writing music?

Shemaiah James: At the end of the day, I want to inspire someone through my music whether that be 1 person or 1000. I want to show someone out there a purpose and relate to them on a personal level. That's why I do music and that motivates me to keep going because I have had so many artist that have done that for me and I want to pay that forward.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?
Shemaiah James: J Cole hands down, I would just love for him to either jam along to my music or talk to me after to give me feedback. Drake & Will Smith would be huge to, all of them are so inspiring to me.


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Shemaiah James: J Cole, Big Sean, Jaden Smith, Drake, Chance the rapper, Justin Bieber, Jhene Aiko, KSI, Calvin Pritchard, The kid Lario, Logic


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Shemaiah James: Michael Jackson, since I was kid I've loved MJ and still to this day. Rap music it would be 50cent was the guy I would mimic most at first minus the street life.


Question: Did you have any pre-conceived ideas about the music industry?

Shemaiah James: Once you got a record deal that everything was sorted after that and have a song go viral being a good thing. I've watched and learnt that those with longevity have had the gradual come up.


Question: What's a typical day like?

Shemaiah James: Now it's waking up and taking care of my son. Training and while I'm in the car freestyling to different YouTube beats.

Question: What has been your favourite part of becoming a music artist?

Shemaiah James: Being able to share and tell my story the way that I want to and being able to be as real as possible and see people reactions from it.


Question: What's next, for you?

Shemaiah James: Just continue making music I love to make and tailoring the craft. I've learnt a lot from each release. I aim to discover how I can organically make you want to keep listening to my music. I have a show at the Flamin Galah in Brisbane city on Nov 15 2020 and an album called MEHS coming out early 2021, but there will be more singles in the meantime.


Question: Can you share your socials? (links please)

Shemaiah James: Facebook  
Instagram  
TikTok  
Website