24: Introduce yourself to everyone that doesn’t already know who you are.
Shutang Mungwa: My name is Shutang Mungwa aka “Shu” and I’m an aspiring rapper and producer from North
Jersey.
24: Before we get into your music, can you describe your history about how you got into and what inspired you?
Shutang Mungwa: Well, I grew up in Cameroon which is a country located on the west coast of Africa so I wasn’t really exposed to 90’s hip hop when I was young. I can remember having a cassette which was a mix of American music and my favorite song was “stand up” by Eminem. I moved here when I was 8 years old and we moved around a lot once I got here. Times we’re difficult but my parents worked incredibly hard to provide me and my younger brother a better life and moving here was the first step. I really got into rap when I heard 50 cent’s “Get Rich of die Tryin’ album.” I began writing songs to the beats from the album around like 5th grade and in high school I would freestyle at parties and stuff. I started out with a 20 dollar mic and downloaded Audacity my junior year and began teaching myself everything I needed to know about recording, mastering, and producing music. I got a scholarship to play football at Syracuse University, but after my first season I left the team and decided to focus on my music and my education.
24: What was the Hip-Hop scene like for you growing up where you’re from?
Shutang Mungwa: 8 years of my life were spent in Cameroon so Hip hop was pretty much non-existent in my life. When I first got here I was actually into R&B, and rock bands like Linkin Park and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But when I heard “In da Club” by 50 cent I fell in love with rap music.
24: What makes you Unique as a artist and different from other rappers out now?
Shutang Mungwa: I approach the game from an intellectual as well as an emotional perspective. I feel like artist nowadays are really watered down because the don’t have any substance to what they’re saying. As a matter of fact, their beats are much more captivating than their lyrics. There is no variation in style, ideas, or message so everyone is starting to sound like the next guy. When I write a song I try not to write it for a specific demographic like a Trap artist would of for example. I try to write songs that everybody can relate to in their own way as well as educate people about the
world and themselves simultaneously.
24: Tell us about what you are working on.
Shutang Mungwa: I’m already working on my next mixtape as well as visuals for “Never Had a Shot, Pt. 2.” I’m also
a producer so I’m making beats and selling them on my online website as well.
24: What producers have you worked with and who would you like to work with in the future?
Shutang Mungwa: I’m a one man band so I don’t work with any producers, but T-minus and Boi1da would be at the
top of that list hands down.
24: Are you happy with the feedback you have been getting from people on material you have released?
Shutang Mungwa: Definitely. I have gotten back really positive feedback from everyone but I’m really happy
because it’s people of different ages and racial backgrounds, not just my peers.
24: In today’s free download age, what do you need to do to make your self a household name?
Shutang Mungwa: I think you need to make yourself real. And when I say real I mean tangible. People have to feel connected with you on a physical and emotional plane and the only way to do that is to be yourself.
24: How do you feel about the current state of the Hip-Hop scene?
Shutang Mungwa: Hip-Hop is undergoing an evolutionary process right now. It’s changing and from the perspective
of someone who enjoys variety, its changing for the worst. It has nothing valuable to offer to society anymore. Its really not even entertaining outside the party scene. You can’t just chill and listen and think about what someone is trying to say because lyrical ingenuity has declined along with story telling and education. That’s why I rap about what I rap about.
24: Outside of the music, what else are you currently working on?
Shutang Mungwa: I’m working on my college degree at Syracuse University. I’m really interested in psychology
and looking to get a Ph.D in it if I get the chance.
24: Where do you see yourself going in 2013 and how do you plan to separate yourself from the other artist out today to get the recognition you feel you deserve?
Shutang Mungwa: I see myself creating a bigger buzz within the music industry. I see people connecting with my
music on an intimate level and I see myself separating myself from everyone else by staying true
to my message, my music and most importantly myself.
24: How can fans go about contacting you?
Shutang Mungwa: Fans can contact me through my twitter @MuShu_15 and my website through IAmShu.com.
24: Thank you for providing 24HourHipHop with this exclusive interview, do you have any last words for your present and future fans?
Shutang Mungwa: I appreciate all the love and support I’ve gotten from my current fans and as to my future fans…I
just want them to know I’m always going to be the one voice in this industry that brings things back into perspective and I will be the hardest working, most down to earth person they’ll ever come across.
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