 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Antonio “2 Shay†Parkinson Only in Memphis, Tenn., the home of ground-breaking independents from Elvis to 8Ball, could a new king emerge, one who's ready to take the Dirty South by storm with a unique roster of acts, attitude, production skills and plenty of undeniable club bounce. Welcome Antonio '2 Shay' Parkinson, impresario of Shay-Dawg Entertainment and its fast-rising label Memphis Sound Records. As the owner of Memphis Sound Records, 2 Shay, oversees production, recording, writing, publishing, promotions and just about every other business aspect in the urban music and film spectrum. "I've learned the whole gamut of the industry," he says. "What you put into it is what you get out of it. And our time has come." He is the “hustler of hustlers†and has also been labeled “the hardest working man in Memphis showbiz. His company's calling card, the now released album, "Clubs, Thugs, Sex & Drugs," has already got a street buzz the size of the Mississippi River. Produced by 2 Shay, the album features such street anthems as "Shake It For Me," "Yayo", "Break Da Bricks Down" and "Ball-a-holics." It also spotlights the Memphis Sound Records roster -- such talented rappers and singers as P-Smoov, Nikki Boo, Klassik, Cladette Janell Franklin, acoustic artist Jerry Askew, Da Ruins and M.F. -- a clique soon to be reckoned with in the rap, hip-hop and R&B world. Those expecting yet another foray into the clichéd Memphis gangsta rap sound can go home. While indebted to his home (Memphis) of the past 15 years, 2 Shay's style isn't defined by the usual hardcore moves of the Deep South. Instead, his approach is an individualized blend of West Coast and Third Coast, which befits someone who has lived literally all over the world. Born in Oakland, Calif., 2 Shay lived with his mother first in Los Angeles. From age 11, in Port Arthur, Texas, they began to fall on rough times even experiencing the plight of the homeless. He played alto sax in a band as a pre-teen, though sports quickly sidetracked his musical pursuits. By high school, however, he found himself writing rap lyrics, creating music tracks, working at an oldies and soft rock radio station and deejaying. Oddly enough, his passion for music came from an estranged father he never knew. His dad, Charles Striplin -- who died before the two could ever meet -- was also a deejay, it turned out. When 2 Shay paid a recent visit to his pop's family in Oakland, he was met with a jolting discovery. "I never knew where my love for music came from," he says. "I've got thousands of records at my house now, old vinyl records from soft rock to rap. And as soon as I walked into his house, it was the same way. They were lined up along the wall just as mine are." 2 Shay's introduction to Memphis came when he was stationed there while enlisted in the Marines for four years. He soon got sent to Okinawa, Japan, where he started playing along to Dr. Dre records on a Yamaha keyboard he had. The music bug was back for good. Once his service was behind him, 2 Shay settled in Memphis in 1991 with one overriding goal: to be a major part of the restoration of the Memphis music scene. To this day, he thanks the Marine Corps for providing the discipline to do it. "That's the hardest branch of service there is -- which is what I needed. If it weren’t for the Corps, there’s no telling where I would have ended up. It taught me to get my ass up regardless of the circumstances. 'Cause you're going to pay for it in the end if you don't . . . Now, I come in the studio sometimes at 9 o'clock in the morning and leave at 4 o'clock the next morning. I'm hungry for it." Since the late 1990s, 2 Shay's resume has steadily grown. He scored a No. 1 song in the Memphis market in 1998 with the hit single he produced, "Throw It Up," by Da Ruins. In 2000, 2 Shay found himself signed to RCA Records with his brother, Maurice Parkinson (M. F.), as BK Clique. Signed to the RCA affiliate, Judgment Records, the duo made a single and video only to see RCA pull the plug on their whole black music division before anything could come out. From that experience, however, came other opportunities including remixes of a song featuring Nelly and remixes of a song penned by Whitney Houston. "I got a lot of work and experience out of it," says 2 Shay. "And I learned that independence is the key. This brings the multi-tasking music professional to the present: a new label, 2 new records in the market and a new day. The music industry better be ready for 2 Shay because he's about to change things in a big way. Testament to his sharpened business skills and knowledge, 2 Shay also serves on the Memphis Music Foundation and the mayor-appointed Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission, where he sits ever so prestigiously on the executive board. He is the co-host with DJ Devin Steele and A&R on a radio show that plays independent local music airing on K-97(story in The Commercial Appeal). He also served as a member of the host committee for the relocation of the “Rock & Soul Museum and is a member of NARAS. Some of his accomplishments include, helping to facilitate the return of the International Black Broadcasters Association annual conference to Memphis, producing the first ever sponsored Mix-CD in the Memphis market (story in The Commercial Appeal), the first ever $2.00 CD in the Memphis market (story in The Commercial Appeal) which is proving to be an exceptional marketing and promotional tool for local independent artists, producing/hosting the American Idol reception for the American Idol contestants from the Memphis area and producing/directing his first music video. The versatile producer/executive even has his eyes set on the big screen. Already having some acting experience, he has continued that by completing several acting classes and is currently finishing an original screenplay. "Movies, that's just one more part of the success that will soon be Memphis Sound Records/Shay-Dawg Entertainment," he says. For info contact: 901.372.8925 shaydrec@aol.com www.shaydawg.com Check out the artist's website: http://www.shaydawg.com Track List: 1. Intro (2 Shay) 2. Welcome to Ridgemont (p-smoov Feat. Yo Don, Lil Mizz, & Lil Moke 3. A Word From Tom Skeemask 4. All Good (tom Skeemask Feat. Mr. Sche) 5. A Word From Dj Lil Larry 6. Ain't None of These Boyz (p-smoov) 7. Bootleggers Must Die! 8. Don't Watch Me (nasty Nardo Feat. Young Kee) 9. A Word From Crazy of the 504 Boyz 10. Www.shaydawg.com 11. Shake It For a Gangsta (p-smoov Feat. Lex G) 12. We Got Tracks 13. Urban Flava Tv 14. Flick (memphis Plat) 15. A Word From P-smoov 16. Grey Goose (al Kapone Feat. 8 Ball) 17. Cd's Available 18. Peer Pressure (p-smoov) 19. Retail Folks 20. A Word From Lil Mizz 21. Ain't It Mane (p-smoov Feat. Lil Mizz) 22. Nd Radio 23. A Word From Smoke-d 24. Shake It (smoke-d Feat. Bun B & David Banner) 25. What the Business Is (rizzod Rod Feat. P-smoov) 26. The After Party 27. Outcha Face (rizzod Rod) 28. A Word From Alicia Washington 29. That's How We Do (p-smoov Feat. M. F. & Introducing Alicia Washi 30. A Word From Nitty Gritty 31. Grind On (nitty Gritty Feat. Yo Gotti) 32. Outro 33. Ball-a-holic (p-smoov) 34. Uh Oh (crack Rah) Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
|