A conversation with hip hop artist Shane Yansi

Today on our Hot Seat we have hip-hop artist Shane Yansi with us. Let’s have a chat with him.

Twist Online : First of all tell us about the start of your professional career?
Shane Yansi : I have been in and out of the hip-hop game over the last 10 years. I have made songs here and there under a different rap name, but within the last year I decided to pursue this venture for real. I still record on the same equipment I bought 10 years ago. I’m still using Pro Tools 8 and Sonar 8 Producer and they’re out of business now! I have added some modern pieces to my studio like a Maschine but I still have the same basic setup I had 10 years ago.

Twist Online : Who or what inspired you to get into music industry?
Shane Yansi : I’ve always been a fan of hip-hop since the Old School. I still play Cold Crush 4 tapes on my laptop today! To me, the ‘Golden Age'(the 90’s and prior) were the best years of hip-hop before all the commercialism took over. I’ve always been intrigued by the art of storytelling and rappers paint a vivid picture with their words and that’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

Twist Online : Tell us about your recent release ‘We Celebrate LIFE’?
Shane Yansi : ‘We Celebrate LIFE’ is a party jam about having fun and, of course, celebrating life. That seems to be a popular term that people say nowadays. They even said it on the recent ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ special on Netflix. Roxanne’s mother (played by Nia Long) says it to her boyfriend. It’s a term everyone can relate too. When I first heard the beat almost a year ago I said to myself “This song is going to be a hit!”

Twist Online : What kind of response you have received from the release?
Shane Yansi : So far the song seems to be well received. Currently, I have over 36,000 streams on my SoundCloud account for the song and over 5,000 views on YouTube for the video. I’ve been picked up on several internet radio stations and I see this song reaching an even wider audience over the next few months.

Twist Online : What attracts you more, performing on stage or working in studios?
Shane Yansi : I prefer working in the studio because that is my time to create and be inspired. Nothing beats the feeling of “Why don’t we try this?” or “How about we throw that in there?” or maybe “Say it like this”. The ‘We Celebrate LIFE’ session was basically throwing a whole bunch of ideas against the wall and seeing what stuck. That’s why you hear so many effects in that record. Once you finish your creation you get to show it off on stage and that is rewarding too.

Twist Online : What’s your favorite music genre?
Shane Yansi : To tell you the truth I listen to a lot of soul & rock music from the 70’s through the 90’s. To me that music is timeless and unique. Today’s music is more about following trends and trying to mimic the sound that is popular now. Trends fade, but good music will always remain after trends pass.

Twist Online : Have you set some target to achieve as a music artist?
Shane Yansi : My target is to have my music and videos played around the world and perform on a major tour.I would also like to sell 100,000 units independently, which is about the equivalent of going platinum on a major label (moneywise). If I can achieve that, I feel I have accomplished something major with my music.

Twist Online : Are you currently working on any other project?
Shane Yansi : I’m currently working an EP which I’m entitling ‘Weapons Are Made Of Vibranium’. I’m hoping to have it out by the summer. I’m choosing my songs carefully for this project because I want it to be timeless. I want people still playing my music 5, 10, 20 years from now and still feeling good listening to it.