swordshines10: shanti dope: one person who loves peace...

SHANTI DOPE WITH FELLOW RAP ARTISTS

shanti dope and the bronx

kids off the block and shanti dope

shanti dope with an elder rapper

Meeting Shanti Dope in person was somehow challenging and intriguing. He was not the typical friendly guy who's out please and charm you. He's got his own style of mystery, depth and sincerity. Not the ordinary young, teen-looking guy who looked naughty enough- but there's something more that you could see.

He could be snobbish at times, too. But it further challenged you to try to get his attention. You called him and made a sign to approach you. But he said no. What a real challenging guy.

Yet, finally, he sat beside you. Shook your hand. And the rest was HISTORY.

What's in a name called SHANTI DOPE?

"Dope is what my friends call me- 'yun ang bansag nila sa akin", Shanti Dope told a blogger at the start of an interview. "Mga friends ko naglagay ng pangalan na 'yun sa akin. And I don't care what it meant. While 'yung name na Shanti, it's meaning is PEACE. Because I am one person who loves peace."

Shanti Dope admits that his music was an influence of his artist-friends in the industry. These very people were the ones who shaped his art, his poems and his music.

"Mga kaibigan ko ding local artists ang nag-inspire sa akin", Shanti Dope continued saying. "They supported me all-throughout. And they also gave their guidance. The likes of Gloc 9 and Andrew E.- sila ang mga friends ko. Pero sa music ko, I would admit, malaki ang influence nina Francis M., Stick Figgas and others pa."

Shanti describes himself as "moody".

"I write music depending on my mood", Shanti said again. "And most of the times, with those personal experiences that I had in my life. Yung song ko na 'Nadarang', istorya 'yun ng mga friends ko sa isang kuwentuhan session. Na-inspire akong gawin na song. But I never knew, 'yun pala ang magiging number one for sometime sa Spotify.."

Shanti told a blogger that expressing what's within him was worth it all.

"Yung saloobin ko, nailalabas ko through my music", he said. "I wanna show to the world the struggles of poor artists. How they cope-up and preserve their artistry- thru their written music."

Shanti Dope is under Universal Records. He now has had 2 EP albums- the Shanti Dope EP and the Materyal EP album.

"Rap music will stay", Shanti said at the end. "As long as there are modern-day poets like us who continue to fight for it... forever."

Very well said, Shanti Dope.