Photo Credit: Kamilia Nicolas

Boasting a broody, trap-esque rhythm lined with heavy bass hits and a hint of metal flair, the New Jersey based rapper ShojiZero delivers a track that is ominous, exciting and entirely unique. Produced by frocious, its gritty rhythm and quick flow changes keep you on your feet, a signature element of ShojiZero’s work. The sinister sound samples reflect the lyrical narrative, which is one of rampant illicit activity due to inflated egos, and how being overly confident can often do more bad than good.

After beginning to write at the age of 14, he has performed in countless local bands, including his current band The Last Martyr, and also dropped his debut EP ‘Leo Season’ last year, which features his biggest hit to date ‘Six Six Six’, racking up over 16,000 streams on Spotify. Focusing on the underbelly of society and the struggle of mental health as the inspiration for his bars, his immeasurable talent at the age of just 21 is sure to develop into an artist who will stand the test of time.

A producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, ShojiZero is a triple threat too good to ignore.

Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?

It definitely came little by little. I started writing music seven years ago and uploaded my first projects not even under an artist name. I had no intention of becoming an artist at the time, I just wanted to create the best music I could make. I was also into rock and metal for a long time before I even thought about rap. I played in several local bands throughout high school, and only started making beats toward the end of 12th grade. During my first year of college is when I really fell in love with hip-hop production and making beats. That was when I started thinking, “hey, maybe I could do something with this.”

How would you describe the highs and lows of being an artist? 

The feeling of absolute satisfaction you get during the process of creating a song that you really like is one of the greatest highs of being an artist. I think a lot of artists thrive off of loving their work, and they absolutely should- if you don’t like your music, why put more energy into it? That segues pretty well into the lows, which to me are the feelings of, “what’s the use?” I feel like every artist has periods where they doubt everything they do, no matter at what stage of their career they are. And that’s okay, it’s just something to push through. A more tangible low would be money-related. That’s pretty self-explanatory.

What’s a musical guilty pleasure of yours?

I don’t have any- if I were ashamed to listen to something I wouldn’t be listening to it at all!

What are some sources of inspiration for you?

My greatest inspirations are my favorite artists and their music. Some of them include Travis Scott, Guns N’ Roses, Tyler the Creator, and Asking Alexandria. A solid listening period of their music, along with many other artists, gets me pumped up to work on my own music for hours on end. Another thing that inspires me is the process itself of working on a song. If I’m dialed in, there’s absolutely nothing else in the world that can take my mind off of perfecting that song. And sometimes my inspiration can come from nothing at all- I’ll be in my room not doing much when suddenly I’ll get a spontaneous burst of energy to work on a project and do so for a while.

Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?

Tyler, the Creator. I think he’s especially inspirational because he doesn’t try to be anybody but himself. Everything he’s ever done has been 100% him, and I think subconsciously we all want to be that person that lets go of societal judgements and just exists however they please. He’s the artist who embodies that better than anyone else out there today.

Favorite activity to blow off some steam?

Watching a sports game. I’m a big hockey fan, and soccer and basketball are always fun to casually watch. Watching movies can be fun too, depending on the movie.

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

Frocious (the track’s producer) sent me the beat in August of last year. I didn’t immediately do anything with it because if I don’t feel like I have a great idea for a track right away, I won’t try to force one. The initial spark for “Not Hiiiii Enough” came when I wrote the first verse of the song. The entire verse came in one sitting and took very little thought to put to paper. Writing that first verse immediately gave me the direction the song was going to take, musically and thematically. From there, it was just a matter of really trying to perfect the song and make it something more attention-grabbing than a typical song of this nature. I experimented with effects, primarily on the vocals, and tried to find a balance between striking and overbearing. The second half of the song alone probably went through about three or four different iterations before I settled on a final version. If I could’ve, I would have taken even longer on it!

What are some things you do to deal with anxiety and creative blocks?

Time is my best remedy for creative blocks. I don’t do anything specifically, I just let the creative process unravel itself. Forcing musical ideas can be really detrimental, and that’s something I feel like not a lot of independent artists today understand. As for dealing with anxiety, that’s something that has been very difficult for me throughout my life, and admittedly I’m still struggling to find positive ways to cope with it.

What’s the future looking like for you?

A second EP (potentially releasing later this year), some miscellaneous drops, a full-length album, and hopefully a tour, which is one of my all-time life goals. That and owning a Siberian husky.

What inspires your visuals, videos, looks, etc?

Everything. Experiencing life itself is what gives me ideas. I never limit myself to anything, and I never try to fit a certain aesthetic. Many ideas spontaneously pass through my brain and the ones I enjoy the most are the ones I’ll go with. I’m definitely still in the process of finding my own individual style as an artist. 

What are the most embarrassing memories and the proudest moment of your career so far?

A proud moment was when I finished my first legitimate solo EP, “Leo Season.” I felt like that EP was when I started to get some sense of musical and stylistic direction, which really excited me. I was proud of my work on that project overall, from songwriting to production to mixing/mastering. I was also really happy to work with beats from two other producers, Olias. and Rico Nico. Those guys are also my good friends in real life and it was a great feeling having them share the project with me. As a whole, the EP felt like a solid first step toward the rest of my career. Meanwhile, most embarrassing memories would have to be the many dumb things I’ve said on Instagram. I’ve been working on that.

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

Do it yourself.

Where do you think the music and entertainment industry is headed after this past year?

I think the power of a fan base will grow again. Meaning, there may be less of a focus on artists brought up by the industry, and more of a focus on artists who grow a dedicated fan base and come into conversation through underground popularity. But these days, both of those approaches mesh into each other pretty frequently so it’s hard to tell.