My
name is Shae and I’m a singer/songwriter and actress from North West London.
I’m a conscious writer so I aim to enlighten and uplift with the subject
matters I address in my songs. My voice is quite versatile but my sound is
primarily stems from neo-soul, soul and R&B.
WHAT FUELS ME?

Unique
– everything from my appearance to my sound is unique. I’m a 5ft11, curvy
female originating from Nigeria and my voice is a soulful blend of of
old-school neo-soul and new-school R&B. I genuinely haven’t come across
anyone else like myself both in terms of look and sound in the UK music
industry atm, and therefore I feel I am quite unique in that regard.

Humility
– people are often surprised at how humble I am when they first speak to me in
person or interact with me online. I’m a humble person by nature and a big part
of that is because I believe humility is key in keeping ones’ vibe positive;
both in terms of the vibes around you and the vibe you personally give off. I
will always be grateful and humbled by all the love my supporters show and
every opportunity given to me along my journey.
Passion
– passion was probably the word that struck me most out of the bunch. The
passion I have for what I do is unmeasurable. It’s like an untameable fire. And
I think that in any profession you need to have that burning passion in order
to reach your full potential. Passion has helped me work under pressure,
overcome nerves, avoid the corrupt temptations that artists are often faced
with in the music industry, and get multiple opportunities. Passion puts your
goals and aims into perspective, & therefore you become less likely to let
anything hinder/stop that.
MY GREATEST INFLUENCE:
University
most definitely. I attended Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama and that
was the first time I was exposed to independent life outside of what I’d been
taught all my life. Aside from this, the course I was studying (American
Theatre Arts) covered much more than just theatre, and this paved the way for a
lot of self discovery. At first, I felt very lost and confused because it
seemed that I was losing myself, but I didn’t realise at the time, that it was
through losing myself that I would be able to find myself again. However this
time, independently, almost like a reincarnation. Through university I
increased my political and social awareness (which is now reflected in my
songs), found my voice (both in terms of my singing style and what I’d like to
stand for as a person), discovered new interests of mine such as black history,
afrocentrism and  feminism. The knowledge
I gained at university was both a blessing and a curse, because once I was
enlightened, I realised how ignorant a majority of the world still is, which
made it slightly more difficult to live day to day life peacefully.
MY TOP
THREE ROLE MODELS:
God – God is the reason I live.
My parents – I know they are two individuals but they may aswell be
classed as one in my eyes. They have both been a crucial pillar of support
throughout my life and if not for their positivity and encouragement regarding
my creativity, I may not have been able to live out my passion.
Rebecca Pollock – one of my university tutors. This woman is
undisputedly the most intellectual woman I’ve come across in my life. Her
endless knowledge of everything and anything just inspired me so much. She made
me fall in love with learning and understanding new things.
IN THE
NEXT FIVE YEARS…..
In
the next 5 years I aim to be recognised somewhat globally for my creativity and
content. Whether it be through my music or my acting/writing ability, I don’t
mind, but either way I want people around the world to hear what I have to say,
and be enlightened by it. I currently have a manager and co-manager who I
discuss all my plans, events and decisions with, which has helped me greatly
when it comes to the business side of things.
THE
AFRICAN WOMAN’S CHALLENGE:
Black
women face multiple deep rooted systemic challenges day to day, however the
most talked about issue right now is definitely that of appearance. The media
is doing everything in it’s power right now to convince the world that being a
black woman is a disadvantage; that black women aren’t pretty enough, that our
features are a nuisance, that we have this universal attitude problem, every
ridiculous association you could possibly think of. Sadly, that’s the way of
western culture, and until everyone; black, white, male and female realises how
toxic this is to the black females of our generation and actively start to
fight against it, it will remain the same. I’ve not been able to accomplish half
of the things I would like to due to a current lack of funds, but in the near
future I hope to write plays for women of colour in order to give them a voice
in theatre, donate to charities and create clubs which encourage young black
females to pursue their passions and also start a clothing line, which caters
to taller, curvier women with bigger feet than ‘average’ as I feel they still
aren’t catered to enough. In terms of things I’ve done already, I’ve released a
song titled Melanin which is a celebration
of black skin and a reminder that black is beautiful, and I have also started
writing my first short film which will be centred around the empowerment of
black females.
WHAT I DO TO RELAX:
Listen
to gospel music. Can’t go wrong!
MY   –  
I.C.E. [INSPIRE|CELEBRATE|EMPOWER] VISION
Because
we deserve to be. All those years of unimaginable prejudice and oppression can
not be in vain.
MY AFRICAN UNION PLANS:
I
would like to be a mentor to anyone who feels they can’t speak to their family
or friends about personal issues they’re dealing with as I feel one of my
strengths is my genuine care for others.


FINAL
WORDS OF ADVICE:
My
advise to you would be to always remember your worth. To always remember the
black queens who suffered so that you and me can have the freedom we have
today. To always remember that YOU are a queen and should never let anyone
treat you as less. You make a beautifully brown statement wherever you go,
embrace that because it is nothing other than a blessing.