Meet Shorty T | Professional Recording Artist/Songwriter, Influencer & Businessman

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shorty T and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shorty, what role has risk played in your life or career?
To me, risk taking is an absolute requirement when it comes to leveling up your life. Nothing worth having comes easy so taking risks and chances to reach further places in life is necessary. Consistency is key and those that understand this will stay on top of the steps needed to reach their goals and see success. Without the drive to take risks, life becomes more boring and routine. It’s also harder to achieve higher levels of greatness if one chooses to remain average or mediocre. Taking risks is what separates those who experience true success from those who just wish they could. Many people choose to play it safe in life so that they have less chances to fail at things but then they trade in the possibility of a better life for that comfort zone. A wise man once told me that people usually start to die when they settle into a comfort zone and no longer seek to explore life in order to grow and expand. As humans, I feel that we should all continue to grow and adapt to new environments as often as possible. The only real constant in this world is change so there’s no reason a person shouldn’t be growing in some way everyday.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I recognize that I am a person of many talents and abilities. My main art form in life has always been music. I started writing music at a young age and it was a love that consistently grew throughout the years. I feel like I am in my own lane when it comes to my music. My style is definitely my own and that is something I am proud of especially coming from a generation where everyone sounds alike. The biggest compliment I feel like I receive from major artists or producers when they hear my music is that I do not sound like anybody who is currently out and the music is fire. That always puts a smile on my face because it confirms to me that I am in my own lane.

It takes a lot of energy, time, effort, money and connections to be able to reach higher levels in this industry. It also takes a ridiculous amount of patience to be able to stick around when things are not moving according to plan. It is not easy at all. I have faced many challenges throughout the years such as major disappointments, disloyal people, liars and people who will take credit for your work. I am sure many other artists run into these issues at some point as well. It’s all about how you handle things and decide to move forward that counts the most. I’ve learned to always follow my first mind and trust my instincts more. It is not smart to allow someone to talk you out of something that you feel is the right thing to do within your career or life. I just want people to understand that I have built my brand and my music fully represents me. For me, music is an expression of self so I place my real life in my art.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Man, this is a great question especially since I’m not even from here lol. If someone I knew was visiting I would take them to all of the places that people want to see when visiting L.A. Of course I would have to take them to Hollywood so they can see firsthand what it’s all about. There are some nice restaurants and nightlife so I am sure they would enjoy it. Another great place to visit and one of my favorites is the beach. Many states do not have beaches so anyone coming to L.A from a city with no beaches would love it. It’s always so peaceful and serene so a whole day could be spent just vibing and exploring out there. Some other places I Would suggest are Magic Mountain, Universal Studios, certain hiking trails like Runyon Canyon, maybe a sports game (Lakers or Rams), museums, parks and the hills like Mulholland Drive. Visiting a few recording studios would be on my list as well that way I can introduce them to a few legendary people. I’d also take them to a couple dope vegan restaurants that I like since I don’t eat meat.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Over the years I have definitely learned a lot and I can honestly say its come mostly from me having the drive to want to learn and achieve more. There are many people, books and videos I have learned from that taught me a lot of the information needed to gain certain advantages in many situations. A few books that have helped me were “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, “The Secret”, “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale and many others. Some of the people I watched throughout the years that gave some amazing information were Gary Vaynerchuck, Grant Cordone, etc. There are way too many people in my actual life to name but some of the people in my life that made an impact are my mom, my siblings, Sammy Issac (engineer/producer) (@sammyissac), Mayjah Payne (@mayjahpayne), Sirr Jones (@sirrjones909), Lil Brudda, DJ Soulo, D-Round (@d_round_b_major), and so many more. My biggest thanks goes to myself. No matter how hard things got in may life, I never gave up. When there was absolutely no help, I always made a way and took whatever risks were necessary to progress.

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