Exposed Vocals Interviews Hush Harding
Self recording and writing music since age 14 , Shawn was able to amass a local following and over half a million views on youtube.
After making a name as solo artist Rage617 , eventually Shawn went back to his original nick name “Hush” and kept his last name to avoid confusion.
Using this newly found outlet for anger Hush Harding made a name in the local battle scene and the international underground scene. Also starting his own “Brand / Label” No Muzzle Entertainment and enlisting other artists for his movement. Hush takes care of the graphic design , video directing and editing , mixing and mastering for all artists on the label.
ACCOLADES
Invited to battle in Redbull EmSEE invite only tournament / tv series. (Hosted By Bun B / Judged by Rakim , Jean Grae , Pharoe Monch”
Top 10 finalist in a Vibe Magazines Contest Judged By Eminem in 2009.
Top 4 Finalist in Gigg Tournament Judged By Skylar Grey.
Top 8 Finalist in Anno Domini Contest Judged by Crooked I
Album Clouded Judgements Now On iTunes , Spotify , Tidal And More
Exposed Vocals: So tell us your story. Where did you grow up? What made you decide to become an artist?
Hush Harding : I grew up in Quincy Massachusetts , a suburb of Boston. My cousin introduced me to hip hop when I was real young , and I had always excelled in English class. These two influences together is what got me started. Before I started rapping me and my cousin ran a hip hop news site. This helped me branch off onto other websites and I started doing online battles and contests , recording my self with cheap equipment on a hand me down computer. Also I needed a way to kick start a brand that could help me branch into different things and invest in myself.
Exposed Vocals: How did you come up with that name? What was your inspiration behind it?
Hush Harding : I actually came up with this name after realizing my initials were SH.. like shh. I was a quiet kid that usually kept to myself unless I got a chance to be on the mic or in a cypher , so I thought it was fitting. I added my last name to it , to avoid confusion and make it easier to find me on the internet.
Exposed Vocals: What do you think about online music sharing? Do you ever give your music away for free? Why?
Hush Harding : I think it’s a double edged sword. I like to have access to so much music for free and I like to spread my music to as many people as possible.The downside to it is that it devalues the art and the product so it makes it harder to sell. Why pay for something you can get for free? Aside from real supporters and selling merch its harder for an artist to make it off music money alone. I do give my music away for free but I encourage my fans to play it off of platforms I have monetized so I can atleast see some return. For example Spotify , or YouTube.
Exposed Vocals: Since everyone was a start-up once, can you give any smaller or local bands or artists looking to get gigs and airplay some tips?
Hush Harding : Hit up open mics , reach out to other local rappers , ask around for slots. If your local to Boston , hit me up at [email protected]. I host monthly hip hop events and open mics. Getting air play will come with networking once you go to these local shows , you can find radio hosts and DJs who should be able to point you in the right direction. Have a business card , and website or ways to contact you ready. Make it easy for people to get the most out of your connections.
Exposed Vocals: Where do you usually gather songwriting inspiration? What is your usual songwriting process?
Hush Harding : Most of the time I let the beat inspire me. I look through hundreds of beats sometimes before settling on the one I want. Other times events in my life or certain rhymes that I think of randomly will inspire whole songs. If I cant find inspiration within myself I’ll reach out to my label mates or other artists I know to send me something to hop on. Features are always a good change of pace and creative direction that can help you make something you other wise wouldn’t be able to own your own.
Exposed Vocals: Do you have a personal website? What online platforms do you use to share your music?
Hush Harding : Yes , I have my own website www.hushharding.com . My personal website is the master hub and has every other social network and platform I use connected through it. I have a clothing store , a beat store , my graphic design portfolio , and music for free and for sale there. If you want to get straight to the music and my new releases I suggest going to my youtube page at www.youtube.com/hushharding . The rest of my social media is as follows. www.facebook.com/hushharding – www.twitter.com/hushharding – www.instagram.com/hushharding – www.soundcloud.com/hushharding – www.bandcamp.com/hushharding .
Exposed Vocals: If you were given half a million dollars and a year off, what would you do? How would you spend it?
Hush Harding : I would use it to build a studio , and invest. I probably wouldn’t take a “year off” because I would be more content being able to work and reach my goals. The half a million dollars would make the work fun and exciting , so it really wouldn’t be much work. Experimenting with new equipment , artists , and experiences.
Exposed Vocals: How do you find ways to promote your music? What works best for you?
Hush Harding : I promote my music locally by doing ALOT of shows all over the place. Also by staying consistent with my all my online platforms. I create new artwork , music videos , and extra behind the scenes content constantly to keep fans engaged. I’m not sure what works best because I’m always using the same methods consistently while implementing new twists.
Exposed Vocals: So, what’s next? Any new upcoming projects that you want to talk about?
Hush Harding : I have alot of songs I’ve been sitting on but I still haven’t decided on a project name. I might try to do something really original and innovative and release them that way. If not I may just release a free tape , but encourage my fans to play it off of my monetized platforms as I said before. At this point I’m trying to invest heavily into getting my name out there and heard. I will worry about making larger returns once I have access to a larger fan base. Also I will be dropping a music video for my song “Under Dogs” later this month , and participating in a Grind Mode Cypher.
Exposed Vocals: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
Hush Harding : Graphic Design , Directing Videos , Other computer related trades , or possibly physical labor. Maybe managing another artist or producer under the No Muzzle ENT banner.
https://www.facebook.com/NoMuzzleENT
Exposed Vocals: What should fans look forward to in 2016?
Hush Harding : I will be participating in cyphers , dropping new music , I have multiple music videos being planned. Big shows to be announced over the summer. Me and the rest of my No Muzzle Label Mates are staying busier then ever and working really hard to get this movement to the next level. The fans should look forward to everything we drop and the platform we can create for ourselves and other artists.