Upcoming Hype "Ebonics"

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Bio: Youth combined with truth, that’s what defines Shelton “Ebonics” Long, the 19-year-old Master of Ceremonies from Providence, Rhode Island. Shying away from the stereotyped image of the average rapper with negative messages about murder, sex and drugs, MC Ebonics’ lyrics focus on the truths of life, including dealing with relationship problems and people who aren’t all they seem to be: “Everything I write comes from the heart.” Ebonics first single, ‘Hata Blockaz’, has already gained almost 700,000 plays on his MySpace page. Ebonics has transformed a rough upbringing into a successful future: “Growing up was pretty bad. I never had a stable home.” His father was often selling drugs or spending time in jail, leaving Ebonics and his single, world-weary mother to fend for themselves: “My mother and I would get death threats. They would shoot up my mother’s only vehicle, which she didn’t have money to repair at times, so we would be stuck taking the bus a lot. Every negative thing that happened, no matter what, my mother never gave up. She would always tell me that things would get better.” The two eventually moved from Connecticut to Providence, and, finally, to Cranston, Rhode Island. Ebonics started writing lyrics to relieve stress, and his hobby soon turned into a full-time occupation: “My family knew I was put on this earth to entertain others, no matter what.” Since then, Ebonics has honed his skills with performances in various talent shows, charity events, and in popular venues such as the 305 Club in East Providence and Jerky’s Live Music Hall and Sticky Fingers in Providence. Ebonics’ song writing process is freely structured: Freestyling at home often has him jotting down lyrics for later use and he always writes the chorus of a song first. “At times, I automatically know what I’m going to write as soon as I hear the beat. Something inside me paints the picture before I even know what I’m going to talk about. As soon as I come up with the title of a song, I think about how each verse is going to have a different impact on the song as a whole.” “My biggest influences are artists like Common, Nas, Talib Kwali, Mos Def, and India Arie,” says Ebonics. “I look up to each one as a lyricist and an inspiration.” Since Ebonics also dances, he looks up to Diddy and T-Pain, who both know how to make people feel good through wordplay. One thing’s for certain: Ebonics has a bright future. He’s already won first place at the Step Up Competition at the Columbus Theatre in Providence. He has a management contract with World Wide Talent Search, and his first professionally-produced single “Hata Blockaz,” produced by Mondo Music Productions, was released on Internet Radio in November 2008. Ebonics is featured on a UK artists hip-hop albums by Scratch Promotions scheduled to drop in February 2009. And, always, Ebonics’ focus is on telling the truth: “I never second guess myself saying, ‘Wow, maybe I shouldn’t have said that certain thing in my song.’” Ebonics is 100% real, now and always. “I can only be me, and nobody else but me.”