BIDDING WARS

Shayy Soprano reveals her creative powers in music

4 min
Aug 7, 2024over 1 year ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Jamaican recording artist Shayy Soprano discusses her creative process and new song 'Best Life,' which emphasizes living each day to the fullest. She shares the inspiration behind the track and reveals how she incorporated a meaningful recording of her grandmother, who was instrumental in her upbringing and education despite limited schooling herself.

Insights
  • Personal storytelling and family legacy integration can create emotional depth in music production
  • Reggae and dancehall face industry pressure from competing Afro-beat genre despite their foundational role in music history
  • Artist motivation stems from lived experience and daily philosophy rather than external trends
  • Multi-generational influence shapes artistic values and messaging in contemporary music
Trends
Genre displacement concerns: Reggae artists advocating against Afro-beat market dominanceIntergenerational storytelling in music production gaining prominenceArtist emphasis on authentic, philosophy-driven songwriting over trend-chasingFamily legacy and grandmother influence as creative inspiration in modern music
Topics
Reggae and dancehall music genre preservationAfro-beat market expansion and genre competitionMusic composition and songwriting inspirationRecording studio production processArtist branding and social media presenceIntergenerational family influence on creative workMusic philosophy and life messagingJamaican music industry trends
People
Shayy Soprano
Jamaican recording artist featured as main guest discussing her music, creative process, and new song 'Best Life'
Zoe
Podcast host conducting interview with Shayy Soprano at the House of Hits studio in Miami
Quotes
"You should always live every day like it's your birthday. Just every day like it's your birthday. Feel like every day is your birthday because you don't know when it's going to be your last."
Shayy SopranoEarly in episode
"She instilled those things in me from young because she didn't get the chance to do it. So she always talked into me."
Shayy SopranoMid-episode
"Afro beat is more towards the African side and reggae and dancehall has always been Jamaica's thing. So I think that now the conflict is that they're trying to replace the genre of reggae with afro beat when reggae has always been there."
Shayy SopranoLate in episode
Full Transcript
What's good, what's good, what's good? Family. It's your girls, Zoe, where was gold. And guess where we at? We in Miami and we at the house of hit. And guess what? We got a major, major recording artist, Jamaican recording artist. She's called by the name of Shay Soprano. I want to demo. What? She should just drop some heat. Everybody was feeling it. She was at the studio. Drama boy was feeling it. Everybody was feeling it. What was the name of that song? Why did you choose that song to record today? The name of the song is Best Life. I chose that because you should always live every day like it's your birthday. Just every day like it's your birthday. Feel like every day is your birthday because you don't know when it's going to be your last. So just whatever your manifestation is, go for it because it would just lay all right in front of you. And you write all your music, right? Yeah. Okay. So what inspired you? Was that pretty much what inspired you to write it? Just living day to day, living your best. It's your birthday. Is that pretty much what inspired you? Yeah. Okay. And then at the end, I was like, which was a nice touch. You had your grandmother recording that you had of your grandmother at the end. So tell us what she was saying and tell us what she meant to you. Growing up, my grandmother has always been there from the time my mother gave birth until the time she passed in front of me. So, you know, every time after school, I go to her and my mother come home from work. She'll pick me and my sister up. So it's like she taught me how to read, how to write, my Bible verses, how to comb, how to sew, you know, little, little stuff like that. And the thing about it is she only stopped going to school in the fourth grade because she had to help her mother, help her siblings, you know. So it was just crazy how someone can teach themselves to be able to teach me, you know, push me, you have to go to high school, all right, you have to go to college, you have to go to college, you know. She instilled those things in me from young because she didn't get the chance to do it. So she always talked into me. So I was, you know, I always record her here and there. So, you know, I felt like that recording fit very well with the song and where I was trying to go with it. Yeah, definitely. It was a nice touch. So big up to all the grandmas, you know. They are awesome. But I wanted to switch gears real quick because something I've been hearing about is a reggae and afro beat. It's like a fume. Have you heard that? Yes, because, you know, you know what? Afro beat is more towards the African side and reggae and dancehall has always been Jamaica's thing. So I think that now the conflict is that they're trying to replace the genre of reggae with afro beat when reggae has always been there. You get what I'm saying? So it was kind of like you can't erase something that's been here. Yeah. A staple of, of, of, of, I think it's the foundation of hip hop, actually. Yeah. So, you know, we fighting for that. Yeah. Yeah. I take this. Yeah. See you. Not this. Yeah. So drop your social media handle so they could go ahead and follow you. All right. It's two Y's, ladies and gentlemen. S-H-A-Y-Y-S-O-P-R-A. I know you can't find me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, now on threads. So make sure you follow me. It is. All right, family. So thank you for watching. And we at the house, the hits, we with Chase the Prado, go follow. And peace family till next time. Bad girl.