D Shep Bio
The evolution of hip-hop has taken the genre from music making to real life story telling. The stories of hip-hop stars’ rise and falls have become as important to hip-hop as the music itself. Hip-hop’s focus on artist being “real†about their lyrical content and persona pushes boundaries, enthralling fans with stories of urban street life, crime, and repercussions. D Shep is more than a just a southern artist with a regional sense of hip-hop. His lyrics tell of his struggles to make it out of his rough beginnings in Miami’s Naranja neighborhood. Success is not something that’s given to you its something you must take for yourself; D Shep learned this at a young age as he struggled to survive on Miami’s south side. Singed to independent record label The Conspiracy in 2005, D Shep has become the next rapper to follow in Miami’s up and coming hip-hop/rap movement. D Shep, born Darrell Sheppard 23 years ago, is the real deal; he’s been on the streets, with the stories and credibility to back it, but still his southern background is apparent in his sense for -good music-. With his current single “Stay Real†making heavy noise in the clubs and on radio in Miami and his 2006 street released album “Rent Money†creating street buzz all over the south, 2007 is poised to be the year D Shep makes his break to stardom. Shep is currently in the studio finishing his first LP album planned for summer 2007 debut entitled and sure to be “Miami’s Heat.â€
Born into the notoriously tough neighborhood of Naranja in Miami’s south side during the height of the Miami’s cocaine trade in the early 1980’s, D Shep’s impoverished mother and father had moved to Miami from Mississippi and Kansas, respectively, to start a family and a new life. Things did not prove to be easy though, growing up D Shep often walked dangerously close to the edge to help provide for his family and to also satisfy his own desires and ambitions. His focus was not always on music though, D Shep, rose to prominence as a highly touted high school running back. By late 2000, Shep was the highest ranked high school running back prospect in Miami with scholarship offers from the University of Miami, Boston College, University of Michigan, and USC. Football seemed to be the way out for him. However NCAA ineligibility in his senior year of high school meant his promising future did not seem all so promising any more. So with no other options Shep turned to the only thing he knew, the streets.
While doing whatever it took to make it on Miami’s streets, and without any financial backing D Shep began to record mix tapes in makeshift home studios under the rap alias “Nu-Katâ€. His street knowledge had allowed Shep to amass what was a small fortune and he quickly became a well-known name for many reasons. After a June 2004 shooting incident in Miami’s West Perrine neighborhood that ruined several lives and nearly wrecked the career of NFL safety and close friend Sean Taylor, D Shep realized it was time to focus on his best chance to make it out of this criminal and sometimes-deadly lifestyle. Released shortly after the incident his first self-titled mix tape made enough fans in Miami that it quickly became a bootlegged favorite by late 2004.
In 2005, D Shep along with his two long time friends and new business partners T.J. Holton and Michael “MicRo†Rojas, formed the independent music label The Conspiracy. The Conspiracy team made quick work of making their presence known in the rapidly growing Miami hip-hop scene. D Shep teamed up with platinum Miami producer Bigg D to record his first new track “Don’t Mean to Brag†featured on his second mix tape titled “The Conspiracy Presents D Shep Mix Tape Vol.1†which also included various other borrowed beats and displayed Shep’s clear lyrical ability. Released in November of 2005 the mix tape was co hosted by Miami superstar Djs, DJ Irie and DJ Khaled, and with the release the South Side’s Nu-Kat had become Miami’s D Shep. Focused on becoming champions of the underground scene The Conspiracy’s next move was to release a street album that was sure to become a street legend. In May of 2006, D Shep released his first street album entitled “Rent Money.†That’s when thing really began to heat up for the up and coming star. Featuring 16 original songs including an early version of current single “Stay Realâ€, Rent Money blew past anyone’s wildest expectation. By November of 2006 nearly 100,000 copies of Rent Money had been distributed throughout the South, including 40,000 copies alone in Miami. In the wake of the Rent Money release, D Shep has become the most buzzed about rapper in Miami since Rick Ross blew on to the national stage in late ‘05.
But The Conspiracy is not done yet. In the 4th quarter of 2006, D Shep went back in the studio to focus on making 2007 the year he cements his place in hip-hop. The year 2007 will be highlighted with D Shep’s first major LP release, which will follow closely behind the release of a second street album entitled “Eviction Notice.†With several huge hits already recorded, D Shep is poised to be the artist everyone wants in 2007. He’s coming with unreleased and incredible tracks he’s worked on throughout 2006, including but not limited tracks produced by DJ Toomp (It Ain’t Nuthin), tracks produced and featuring Akon (Livin That Life), The Conspiracy’s own prodigy producer Horn (Dealing With A Star) and a much anticipated remix to current single “Stay Real†featuring Trick Daddy. Promising an LP to be considered a rap classic, D Shep promises to set a new pace for southern hip-hop artists. The product of his work ethic, talent, and his real-ness, Shep's official first LP album promises to prove that D-Shep is “Miami’s Heat.â€