Shaheed Shabazz profile picture

Shaheed Shabazz

10% is donated to Katrina Victims.

About Me


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“Every Saturday morning my mother would clean our apartment blasting Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers, EW&F, and Motown.” That’s where it all started. “My uncle left Jimi Hendrix’s Crash Landing and Albert King’s Laundromat Blues in my room, and I was hooked on the blues.” After playing trumpet for a few years, and wanting a drum set, Shaheed ended up a guitar in his hands at the age of 10.
In 1988, rap group Public Enemy released, “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back”. That started Shaheed listening to and thinking about music production. Eight years later, Shaheed opened Liontraks Recording Studio in Union City, NJ, where he engineered, produced, and/or played guitar on up to 75 projects a year. “Owning a studio is wild!” Shaheed says, “you can create hip hop tracks for local artists in the morning, engineer a death metal session in the afternoon, and produce a spoken word session in the evening.” This experience readied Shaheed to record his own music. But what would it sound like?
It sounds like Something Blues, the debut CD from Jersey swamp native, Shaheed Shabazz. Every song on Something Blues is a perfect blend of hip hop, R&B, and blues. This recording project started in 2000 after Shaheed got the idea to fuse the styles of music he loves the most. “I recorded 20 songs for this CD and lost them in a hard drive crash.” In 2004, with the help and encouragement of friend, Shaheed started recording what would become his second debut CD, Something Blues.
A few of Shaheed’s friends come out to play on Something Blues, including Grammy-nominated bassist Brad Vickers (Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin), harmonica master Davie Barns (Michael Hill Blues Mob, James 'Blood' Ulmar), Hammond B3 specialist Gerard Guida (Jimi Hendrix). Michael Hill (Alligator Records) lends his voice and guitar to the first single, “House of the Rising Sun,” and all proceeds from sales of this single go to support Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to build a musicians’ village in New Orleans.
As for performances, Shaheed is the quintessential entertainer. Blending tracks from Something Blues with funk and blues covers, he gives every concert attendee more than the show they paid for. "I treat every show like it will be my legacy because if it’s the last show I play, I want it to stay with you forever."
When asked why Something Blues isn’t more of a straight a head blues CD, Shaheed says, “First and foremost I am a blues guitarist. But don’t get it twisted. This ain’t your grandfather’s blues.”

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 9/9/2005
Band Website: shaheedshabazz.com
Influences: I love all of the usual suspects like, Hendrix, Prince, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, B.B King and Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Ben Harper, Los Lonely Boys, P Funk, Kid Rock, Nina Simone, G. Love & Special Sauce, Jay Z, Tribe called quest, Lauren Hill, Steve Vai, Ray Charles, Bill Withers and Howlin' Wolf.
Sounds Like: i don't know, you tell me. When people ask me what i sound like i say; IF Prince and Jay Z started a group and played Muddy Waters songs, they'd sound like me. LOL
Record Label: Paradigm 2.0 Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Shaheed & IK Multimedia

I'll be doing a few clinics for IK Multimedia around the North East over the next few months. Teaming up with IK synth wiz Tony Grund, we'll be showing the finer points of the new Stomp IO foot contro...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:14:00 PST

NJ Musician helps rebuild New Orleans one CD at a time

NJ Musician helps rebuild New Orleans one CD at a timeOut of concern for Hurricane Katrina survivors, a blues artist from Jersey City, NJ, decided to help. Shaheed Shabazz is donating 10% from every ...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 05:23:00 PST

CD Release Date

I have been in the studio for five year, recorded over 40 songs, narrowed it down to 11 and finally, have a release date for the CD. Aug. 7th, my Birthday, Something Blues, will be available for downl...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:40:00 PST

I'm not sending you PORN (please read)

Someone hacked into my password and is sending out porn under my name. I have since changed my password and I hope that will be the end of this.I'd like to say sorry to those who have received porn or...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:40:00 PST

Subway Busking Documentary

A month or so ago, I submitted an application to MUNY, Music Under New York, they control the "legal" busking in the New York Subway system. I got a call back and my audition is on May 15th at Grand C...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:40:00 PST

Shaheed Shabazzs Bluesletter

News & Blues In This Issue:Free Music: Hurricane Katrina Relief New Website: Visit Me OnlineBlues Trivia ContestBlah Blah Blah Free Music: Donate $0.99 to help New Orleans and my new single freeOK, s...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:40:00 PST

WOW WOW WOW

When I look at my comments page or read my messages I'm overwhelmed by the amounting support. Thank You so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'm really grateful for everyones kind words and the 'yeah man, one man can...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:40:00 PST

Free Music

Free Music: Donate $0.99 to help New Orleans and my new single freeOK, so its one year later now, and New Orleans is still desperately in need of help.Habitat For Humanity, together with Harry Connick...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:40:00 PST

New Photos (Pinetop & KoKo)

here are some new pictures of me hanging with, The Queen of the Blues, KoKo Taylor and Pinetop Perkins @ Chicago Blues In NYC, where i was a Sound man for a year. Boy, was that a great year. Peace S...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST

JOHN MAYER BLUES!!

WOW!!! I got the chance to see the John Mayer Trio last night and i must say John played real Blues ALL NIGHT LONG. He add a couple of his hits but for the most part.......Blues. At times his voice wa...
Posted by Shaheed Shabazz on Fri, 27 Jul 2007 08:39:00 PST