Sharzie has been writing, singing, and rapping since her early childhood days. Her melodic records are inspired by her New York roots. Sharzie is a visionary who admires every aspect of her artistry, and with the unique sound she brings to hip/hop and r&b, we know it's a guaranteed vibe every single time.
Coming from a deeply rooted New York background, she cites her father and older brothers as well as many other hip-hop and R&B artists as her musical inspirations. Her influences include artists like Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Jay-Z, Biggie, Kanye West, Pharell, Method Man, DMX, Jadakiss, Outkast, Lil Wayne, Brandy, Toni Braxton, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, Ne-yo, Usher, Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera, Wanya Morris, and Teddy Riley.
As Sharzie takes us on her journey with her latest fan-favorite single, "Location," she takes us to a futuristic time in hip/hop and r&b with its eclectic production and catchy melodies. "Location's" wavy ambient feel gives us exactly what we're looking for in any successful hit song. Sharzie shows us how versatile she is as she raps and sings, demonstrating her prowess in each area.
"Location" definitely exemplifies the hard work that's been put in to bring the vision to life, and we are so excited to showcase it to the world.
Welcome to BuzzMusic Sharzie. We love "Location" and the feeling it brings. What inspired you to create this record, and how did you choose whom to collaborate with?
Thank you so much! So, it's kind of a long story. Fun fact: "Location" was actually written in 2017, and Speatz, the featured artist, actually came to me with the idea for the song. I met Speatz through a mutual friend who I met in college. We ended up figuring out that we both made music, so he showed me a few songs that he had, and I didn't really have any quality music out, so I think I might have just shown him me singing on Instagram or something, but naturally, as artists, we were like "we should work together!" A couple of days later, he sent me this beat produced by Letthatboycookbeats, and he was like, "let me know what you think. You said you wanted to do a song... I thought about you singing the hook and maybe part of the song," and I'm like "I'm down!". So I had him lay out his idea for the song, basically a "ride or die" concept and I sent him the finished hook the very next day. He sent his verse the day after that, and my verse was done the day after that. And that's how the collaboration came to be. It was funny because Speatz thought I was just a singer, so when I sent my verse, and I was rapping, he lost his mind. And when I think about that, that's sort of the reaction I want from the world too. I'm definitely not a person you can put into a box because I'll have it bursting at the seams every time. The inspiration for the song was just me honestly wanting to find the love of my life. My verse is literally a love letter to my dream guy, and I'm basically saying, "I don't care where you are, I don't care how I have to get there, let me know so I can come to find you." I honestly hope my future husband hears it and is like "Yeah, that sounds like me, and that's definitely a vibe I'd like to be a part of" because enough is enough.
Being an artist and performer, are there any other ways you've found that help you be more creative and get you into your creative space?
Learning. Learning about any and everything and everyone I can, listening to and watching my favorite performers, taking an interest in different cultures, languages, genres, eras, etc. Because the more you know, the more you have to talk about and the bigger your creative window. Also, any place where I'm surrounded by other creatives is my happy place. I'm inspired by other creatives. Whenever I see or hear art, where I can tell the person really loves what they're doing, and they're being authentic and original and telling their story, it makes me want to create something that makes me and other people feel the way they made me feel.
Growing up, what were the moments that made you realize this was the right path for you?
I've been writing since I could hold a pencil. I used to write stories and poetry as a kid that made adults tilt their heads, so I always knew I had a way with words. And music is in my blood. I could never avoid it. I can never escape it. I get my musical talent from my dad (Even though my mom can definitely hold a tune, too!). My dad is a star. He has one of the most legendary hip-hop flows ever. I get my lyricism and ability to create melodies from him. He and my big brothers are my biggest inspirations when it comes to music. They're all GOATS, so being exposed to the best parts of all of them my entire life, there was no way I wouldn't choose this path and become a monster. I'm so grateful to my entire family, especially my mother, for supporting and nurturing that beast inside me and encouraging me to follow my dreams, whatever they may be.
Are there any artists you grew up listening to that you would like to collaborate with in the future, and why?
Oh my goodness, there are SO many artists I grew up listening to that I want to collaborate with or meet at the very least. I'm only naming artists that came out before, like 2008, because after that, I can't really say I grew up listening to them. A lot of them aren't with us anymore, like Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, and DMX, but for the ones who are still here, I'd say, first of all, Stevie Wonder. I just love everything about him as an artist. He's an AMAZING songwriter. I love his melodies, his unique vocal techniques, his instrumentalism. He's a living legend, and his music is timeless. I would love to get a chance to meet him while he's still here. Then I would say Wanyá Morris from Boyz II Men because his voice has the key to my soul. I
I'm not going in any particular order, but I want to work with T-Pain because he's a beast, and he's so underrated and underappreciated. Not so much recently, but for a long time, people weren't really paying attention to the levels of his artistry. I want to work with Kanye West because, for one, he's one of my favorite rappers and producers and the reason I love sampling. He's one of the most confident artists ever, and he doesn't let anyone get in the way of him fulfilling his purpose. I want to work with Usher because he's one of the best to ever do it. I've been listening to him literally my entire life, and he makes nothing but hits. I want to write to Beyoncé. It could be something fun, or it could be something where we're really singing, but I just want to witness her process because I know she likes to be very involved, and I feel like we could make magic together. I want to work with Missy Elliott & Timbaland. They're both geniuses by themselves and have their own flavor, but they're a great team together as well.
I identify a lot with Missy with how you can't really box her into one genre and skill set. She's just Missy. And she's just fire. Ne-Yo is a gem. I love Ne-Yo. I want to work with him because he's one of my favorite songwriters. I can recognize a Ne-Yo song from a mile away. I love his melodies, his concepts, and his attention to detail where it seems like he's telling a story or having a regular conversation, but it always sounds fire and sort of poetic. I want to work with Chris Brown. He has so much life and creativity inside him. I feel like I could learn a lot from him about being a young lit multitalented artist. Chris Brown has been around so long he can officially be considered a big homie. I also want to work with Busta Rhymes because he has great energy, he's a monster STILL, and he always embraces the younger generation, which means so much to me. Someone else who always embraces the younger generation is Jadakiss, one of my favorite lyricists. I love Jadakiss. And he's so chill and so NY. I want him to be my uncle or something. I love the entire Ruff Riders. That's my favorite crew because everybody was just firing lyrically and just full of positivity and good vibes. I always thought Eve was so cool.
She was my favorite growing up, and she was one of the first black female rappers of my time to that I was exposed to. And the fact that she was holding it down as like the only girl in a group full of guys, had her own show and everything, was SO beautiful, and into fashion, it let me know that I could do anything I wanted to do. Jojo is another artist who has been severely underrated my entire life. She started out extremely young, and she's been an incredible singer her entire career. She's one of the best voices in music, and no one can tell me otherwise. Jay-Z is my goat. He's another living NY legend, a lyricist, a mogul, a mover, and a shaker who also makes timeless music. Everybody who's worked with him has a legendary Jay-Z story, and I want to be able to tell one of those one days. All these people I've named so far have made their own lanes. They really weren't the next anybody else. They were just them. That's what I'm inspired by, and that's what I'm trying to do. I could keep going, but I would be naming people forever. I just love music and real artists so much.
What's next for you?
"Location" is the first official single from my upcoming LP "Love Languages." Speatz is also dropping a project in April where "Location" will be featured as well. I may drop another single or two from my LP before releasing the entire project. The release date is still TBD, but it is coming soon, and the project is full of vibes for every mood.
There'll be singing, there'll be rapping, there are slow songs you could play on a date, there are more upbeat songs you could play in the club, there are songs that you can vibe to alone or with friends, but they're all songs about love and the topics surrounding it delivered in a way no one's ever heard it before. I'm also going to start doing shows soon, so that is also something to be on the lookout for. Check the AKASharzie Enterprises website for merch and updates on everything Sharzie. You can definitely expect more from me and Akasharzie Enterprises, my company and label, in the near future. And you can expect infinite vibes always.
