Shaun Boothe, Toronto emcee is a rising star in his native Canada. He’s a lyricist who makes music not for fame and fortune but for the love of it. How powerful is that? Boothe is also the creator of the Unauthorized Biography series where he pays tribute to legends such as Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Bob Marley and most noteably Oprah Winfrey. Hip hop is not just words to a beat , poetry to put music, and this emcee has a lot to share through his music.

MB: Who is Shaun Boothe? What is your story?
SB: I am a kid from Toronto. Rapper and sometime producer. I have been involved in music all my whole life. I started writing little raps when I was about ten years old during recess and reciting to friends. It has always been a passion of mines. I am fortunate enough to be among the few who are doing something they love. Wake up, perform, and produce music for a living.

MB: As an artist, has pursuing music professionally been what you had always expected it to be?
SB: When I was younger watching television from the outside looking in, all you see is the flashy music videos and basically see only the things the industry wanted you to see. It is definitely different from the artist prospective especially when you have to put in the work. Yeah like sometimes my friends that are artists too, we sometime talk about how if we would put the same amount of energy into being maybe mortgage broker, banker or something more practical. We would be financially much further in our lives. But this is what we love, music is what we love. Normally I give new artists that same advise, make sure you are doing this for the right reasons. If you are making music to get rich fast, you are in the wrong business. There are other things you can do to make money fast, like a porn movie. [Laughs] But now I am fortunate enough now to be getting paid to make music. All the money I make now goes right back into my music. This journey has been a long slow grind. And the love that I have for music has gotten me through the good and bad times.

MB: What artists influence you musically? Why?
SB: My background is Jamaican and I grew up listening to a lot of Bob Marley. I draw influences from everywhere so there is not just one specifically. I definitely can say I am influenced by your Kanye’s and Jay Z’s who both have been the game a long time. I am also influenced by artists like Madonna who has always been consistently able to reinvent herself and change with the times. And definitely Tupac, he was one of the best lyricist. I want to be a trendsetter, not a pathfinder.

MB: As to your music, how would you describe your style? Is it comparable to anyone else currently on the market?
SB: I hate comparing. I have heard various comparisons, I am really trying to carve my own path. I am more introspective. I think a lot people know me for being more lyrical. Even more, I am creative and conceptual especially when I am doing a live show. I like to do a lot of different things to make people remember me. One time I was doing a show with Kardinal Offishall and I asked him ‘what would he like for me to do’ and he told me ‘to do my thing’. And that is what I do all the time pushing to be creative and take more risks musically.

MB: If you could pick any artist, who would you like to collaborate with?
SB: Kanye West, because he is so passionate about his craft and also because he works hard to keep his music fresh and cutting edge.

MB: How would you define the level of hip-hop in Canada?
SB: There is definitely a spotlight on Toronto. Toronto is very different compared to other parts of Canada. The city is very multicultural, it is really a world class city. I think the world is starting to take notice of Toronto because the Drake, producer Boi-1da and lot of other people. People are beginning to realize it’s a creative hot bed. I think it will be just a matter before more artists from Canada will get the attention they deserve.

MB: “Waiting Room” dropped August 2. What is the concept behind your album?
SB: This is my first full length body of work. I have been out singles and videos for the past couple of years. This is my story, from the intro to the outro. It is really a story of someone who has waited his whole entire life to get his turn. I really think a lot people can relate to my story. The calm before the storm, I mean really feeling like you are so close but so far. I really wanted to captured where I am and put it to music. This is a great starting point. A song, “Headlines” which is the outro of the album, came from an experience I had while on tour with another artist. I was the opening act and looking out to the screaming fans, but they are not really there to see me, they don’t know who I am. The mixed feelings in the moment and not knowing what is to come. That pretty much sums up the album. Waiting Room is now available for download via my website, www.shaunboothe.com.

MB: About the Unauthorized Biographies, how did you come up with the idea?
SB: It came from when James Brown passed away. A DJ hit me up, asking me to contribute to a mixtape that he was working on to honor James Brown. He wanted me to spit a 16 on a James Brown break. Like I was saying, you have to be conceptual and stand out. You know Nas did a tribute to Rakim, so I took a page from Nas book. I put visuals to music, created video, which turned into a series. It’s like a Wikipedia to put to music. I wanted to shine a spotlight on people who are incredible icons, instead of tooting my own horn every opportunity I get. Also, for Unauthorized Biographies it was an opportunity kick down boundaries as far as what hip hop can do. I have been contacted by teachers who have shown my videos to their students. I was blown away. I’ve completed videos for Oprah Winfrey, Sean Combs, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, Muhammad Ali and I am currently working on video on Tupac to add to the Bios Series. The series is available online at youtube.com/BiographySeries.

I hope you guys enjoyed the interview. Follow Shaun Boothe: Twitter.com/ShaunBoothe and Facebook.com/ShaunBoothe